Eye Banks: Future Perspectives

AbstractTechnological progress and societal change are transforming medicine, and cornea banks are no exception. New infectiological factors, statutory requirements, management concepts, globalisation and digitalisation are also influencing how such facilities will operate in the future. The goal of providing high quality material to patients with corneal disease remains unaltered. The present article seeks to shed light on the type of material this will involve and under what circumstances it is to be obtained.

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Emerging Applications of Nanotechnology in Healthcare Systems: Grand Challenges and Perspectives

Pharmaceuticals ◽

10.3390/ph14080707 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (8) ◽

pp. 707

Author(s):

Sumaira Anjum ◽

Sara Ishaque ◽

Hijab Fatima ◽

Wajiha Farooq ◽

Christophe Hano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Targeted Drug Delivery ◽

Technological Progress ◽

Review Paper ◽

Genetic Diseases ◽

Healthcare Sector ◽

Human Right ◽

New Generation ◽

Immense Potential ◽

Near Future ◽

Shed Light

Healthcare, as a basic human right, has often become the focus of the development of innovative technologies. Technological progress has significantly contributed to the provision of high-quality, on-time, acceptable, and affordable healthcare. Advancements in nanoscience have led to the emergence of a new generation of nanostructures. Each of them has a unique set of properties that account for their astonishing applications. Since its inception, nanotechnology has continuously affected healthcare and has exerted a tremendous influence on its transformation, contributing to better outcomes. In the last two decades, the world has seen nanotechnology taking steps towards its omnipresence and the process has been accelerated by extensive research in various healthcare sectors. The inclusion of nanotechnology and its allied nanocarriers/nanosystems in medicine is known as nanomedicine, a field that has brought about numerous benefits in disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Various nanosystems have been found to be better candidates for theranostic purposes, in contrast to conventional ones. This review paper will shed light on medically significant nanosystems, as well as their applications and limitations in areas such as gene therapy, targeted drug delivery, and in the treatment of cancer and various genetic diseases. Although nanotechnology holds immense potential, it is yet to be exploited. More efforts need to be directed to overcome these limitations and make full use of its potential in order to revolutionize the healthcare sector in near future.

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Exploration of the Early Childhood Care and Education Provided in Kindergartens in Japan

Asian Review of Social Sciences ◽

10.51983/arss-2019.8.2.1594 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 24-29

Author(s):

Manjinder Kaur

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

World War Ii ◽

World War ◽

High Quality ◽

Early Childhood Care ◽

Childhood Care ◽

Different Types ◽

Education And Care ◽

Set Up ◽

Shed Light

This study tends to shed light on early childhood care and education (ECCE) institutions with special reference to kindergartens in Fukuoka, Japan. The choice of the topic for study was derived by the importance of ECCE in children’s life and huge economic growth of Japan after worst effects of world war-II, which are thought to be linked with the education that children receives in Japan. The study is limited to four kindergartens in Fukuoka City and observations made for the study refers to 2018. Herein, different types of institutions providing ECCE, their infrastructural set-up, activities, along with curriculum are discussed. At the end, issues and challenges of ECCE system in Japan are discussed. It has been observed that the infrastructural facility and nature of activities are of high quality. Each and every care is being taken to inculcate habits, as well as to maintain physical and intellectual growth of children. The children seem to be highly happy and enjoy learning via various activities in these schools. It is clear that the devised policies on education and care of children are implemented in full spirit.

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Surgical techniques: past, present and future

Surgical Techniques Development ◽

10.4081/std.2012.e9 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 9 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Karim Qayumi

Keyword(s):

Middle Ages ◽

Technological Progress ◽

Surgical Techniques ◽

Neolithic Period ◽

Minimally Invasive Surgical ◽

Surgical Methods ◽

Modern Hospital ◽

The 19Th Century ◽

Further Development ◽

Shed Light

The aim of this paper is to provide an analytical survey of the information available on the development of past and present surgical techniques, and to make projections for the future. For the purposes of this paper, the Past starts in the Neolithic period and ends in the 1800s. In this context, I have divided the Past into Prehistoric, Ancient and Middle Ages, and this period ends in the second half of the 19th century when the major obstacles to the further development of surgery, such as overcoming pain and infection, were removed. We will discuss the development of surgical techniques, and the obstacles and opportunities prevalent in these periods. In the context of this paper, the Present begins in 1867, when Louis Pasteur discovered microorganisms, and ends in the present day. There have been many important changes in the development of surgical techniques during this period, such as the transfer of surgery from the unsterile operating room to the modern hospital operating theater, the development of advanced and specialized surgical practices, such as transplants and laparoscopy, and minimally invasive surgical methods, robotic and Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery. It is very difficult to foresee how surgical techniques will develop in the Future because of the unpredictable nature of technological progress. Therefore, in this paper, the forecast for the Future is limited to the next 50- 100 years and is a realistic calculation based on already existing technologies. In this context, the Future is divided into the development of surgical techniques that will develop in the near and distant future. It is anticipated that this overview will shed light on the historical perspective of surgical techniques and stimulate interest in their further development.

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Study on the effect of digital economy on high-quality economic development in China

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0257365 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (9) ◽

pp. e0257365

Author(s):

Wei Zhang ◽

Siqi Zhao ◽

Xiaoyu Wan ◽

Yuan Yao

Keyword(s):

Economic Development ◽

Technological Progress ◽

Digital Economy ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Eastern Region ◽

Factor Productivity ◽

High Quality ◽

Digital Infrastructure ◽

Digital Integration ◽

Development Level

At present, the digital economy, which takes information technology and data as the key elements, is booming and has become an important force in promoting the economic growth of various countries. In order to explore the current dynamic trend of China’s digital economy development and the impact of the digital economy on the high-quality economic development, this paper measures the digital economic development index of 30 cities in China from the three dimensions of digital infrastructure, digital industry, and digital integration, uses panel data of 30 cities in China from 2015 to 2019 to construct an econometric model for empirical analysis, and verifies the mediating effect of technological progress between the digital economy and high-quality economic development. The results show that (1) The development level of China’s digital economy is increasing year by year, that the growth of digital infrastructure is obvious, and that the development of the digital industry is relatively slow. (2) Digital infrastructure, digital industry and digital integration all have significant positive effects on regional total factor productivity, and the influence coefficients are 0.2452, 0.0773 and 0.3458 respectively. (3) Regarding the transmission mechanism from the digital economy to the high-quality economic development, the study finds that the mediating effect of technological progress is 0.1527, of which the mediating effect of technological progress in the eastern, northeast, central and western regions is 1.70%, 9.25%, 28.89% and 21.22% respectively. (4) From the perspective of spatial distribution, the development level of the digital economy in the eastern region is much higher than that in other non-eastern regions, and the development of digital economy in the eastern region has a higher marginal contribution rate to the improvement of the total factor productivity. This study can provide a theoretical basis and practical support for the government to formulate policies for the development of the digital economy.

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Current and Future Perspectives on Children’s Genetic- and Endophenotype-Based Differential Susceptibility to Parenting

Journal of Child and Family Studies ◽

10.1007/s10826-019-01567-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 773-779

Author(s):

Karen Fischer ◽

Joyce Weeland ◽

Patty Leijten ◽

Alithe van den Akker ◽

Geertjan Overbeek

Keyword(s):

Externalizing Behavior ◽

Differential Susceptibility ◽

Positive Parenting ◽

Future Perspectives ◽

Biological Mechanisms ◽

Methodological Issues ◽

Susceptibility Factors ◽

Enriched Environments ◽

Study Designs ◽

Shed Light

Abstract Objectives Accumulating research provides support for differential susceptibility, which holds that the same children who are most vulnerable to adversity, such as negative parenting, may also benefit most from enriched environments, such as positive parenting. This “for better and for worse” phenomenon is believed to be rooted in endogenous, biological susceptibility factors such as genes, and cognitive and physiological endophenotypes (e.g., heart rate variability and skin conductance). The goal of this paper is to discuss the effect of this biological perspective on children’s susceptibility, and the inclusion of genetic and endophenotypical data in parenting research to shed light on the differential effects of parenting behavior We discuss a number of conceptual and methodological issues related to prior studies that have aimed to assess this. Methods We review and discuss current and future perspectives on children’s genetic- and endophenotype-based differential susceptibility to parenting, and experimental study designs that can adequately assess the within-person phenomenon of differential susceptibility. Results We summarize our call for research in an experimental paradigm to test children’s gene- and endophenotype-based differential susceptibility to parenting in their development of externalizing behavior. Conclusions Hereby we aim to advance our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying children’s differential susceptibility to negative and positive parenting.

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Chloride-Based CVD at High Rates of 4H-SiC on On-Axis Si-Face Substrates

Materials Science Forum ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.679-680.59 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 679-680 ◽

pp. 59-62 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Stefano Leone ◽

Yuan Chih Lin ◽

Franziska Christine Beyer ◽

Sven Andersson ◽

Henrik Pedersen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Epitaxial Growth ◽

Doping Concentration ◽

Epitaxial Layers ◽

Power Devices ◽

High Quality ◽

Homoepitaxial Growth ◽

Basal Plane Dislocation ◽

Background Doping ◽

Quality Material

The epitaxial growth at 100 µm/h on on-axis 4H-SiC substrates is demonstrated in this study. Chloride-based CVD, which has been shown to be a reliable process to grow SiC epitaxial layers at rates above 100 µm/h on off-cut substrates, was combined with silane in-situ etching. A proper tuning of C/Si and Cl/Si ratios and the combination of different chlorinated precursors resulted in the homoepitaxial growth of 4H-SiC on Si-face substrates at high rates. Methyltrichlorosilane, added with silane, ethylene and hydrogen chloride were employed as precursors to perform epitaxial growths resulting in very low background doping concentration and high quality material, which could be employed for power devices structure on basal-plane-dislocation-free epitaxial layers.

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Mesoamerican Polyhedral Cores and Prismatic Blades

American Antiquity ◽

10.2307/278596 ◽

1968 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

pp. 446-478 ◽

Cited By ~ 87

Author(s):

Don E. Crabtree

Keyword(s):

High Speed ◽

Large Series ◽

High Speed Photography ◽

High Quality ◽

Pressure Method ◽

The Core ◽

Quality Material ◽

Muscular Coordination

AbstractThis paper deals with the results of the author"s attempts to replicate the obsidian polyhedral cores and prismatic blades of Mesoamerica. Blades have been produced by the direct percussion, indirect percussion, and pressure methods. The pressure method using a chest crutch and a clamp produces cores and blades which are true replicas of aboriginal specimens. The importance of preforming the core and of platform preparation is stressed, and it is pointed out that, usually, actual removal of the blade offers few problems. However, to produce exhausted cores which show the perfection of aboriginal specimens and a large series of nearly identical blades requires good muscular coordination, high quality material, the establishment of patterns or rhythms of motor habits, and the absence of distractions. The author also discusses the difficulties of recovering from mistakes in manufacture.High-speed photography of prismatic blade removal, at 5,000 frames per second, has helped illustrate the behavior of the material and of the stoneworker. These photographs also indicate that under the present experimental and photographic conditions the author (Crabtree) is able to remove a prismatic blade from a core in about 1,250th of a second.

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In depth analysis of kinase cross screening data to identify chemical starting points for inhibition of the nek family of kinases

10.1101/137968 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Carrow I. Wells ◽

Nirav R. Kapadia ◽

Rafael M. Couñago ◽

David H. Drewry

Keyword(s):

Drug Discovery ◽

Small Molecules ◽

Small Molecule ◽

Kinase Inhibitors ◽

Biological Functions ◽

Chemical Probes ◽

High Quality ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

Number Of Citations ◽

Shed Light

AbstractPotent, selective, and cell active small molecule kinase inhibitors are useful tools to help unravel the complexities of kinase signaling. As the biological functions of individual kinases become better understood, they can become targets of drug discovery efforts. The small molecules used to shed light on function can also then serve as chemical starting points in these drug discovery efforts. The Nek family of kinases has received very little attention, as judged by number of citations in PubMed, yet they appear to play many key roles and have been implicated in disease. Here we present our work to identify high quality chemical starting points that have emerged due to the increased incidence of broad kinome screening. We anticipate that this analysis will allow the community to progress towards the generation of chemical probes and eventually drugs that target members of the Nek family.

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Changing paradigms in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus

Lupus Science & Medicine ◽

10.1136/lupus-2018-000310 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. e000310 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Antonis Fanouriakis ◽

George Bertsias

Keyword(s):

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Personal Experience ◽

Calcineurin Inhibitors ◽

Routine Care ◽

Retinal Toxicity ◽

Future Perspectives ◽

Systemic Lupus ◽

High Quality ◽

Everyday Clinical Practice ◽

Immunosuppressive Medications

SLE poses formidable therapeutic challenges due to its heterogeneity and treatment decisions often cannot be guided by data of high quality. In this review, we attempt to provide insights regarding the treatment of SLE in everyday clinical practice, based on contemporary evidence and our own personal experience. We focus on common therapeutic issues and dilemmas arising in routine care, including monitoring for retinal toxicity associated with hydroxychloroquine, handling of glucocorticoid regimens in order to minimise their adverse events, choice of immunosuppressive medications based on prevailing disease manifestations and optimal use of available biological agents (belimumab and rituximab). We also provide our view on the position of calcineurin inhibitors in the management of lupus nephritis and conclude with remarks on the future perspectives for this challenging disease.

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