Current Research and Future Prospect on Low-Alloyed High-Performance Wrought Magnesium Alloys

Stem cell-based therapies are viewed as among the most promising new strategies against developmental, traumatic, oncogenic and degenerative diseases. Indeed, it was the ability to identify, isolate, culture, interrogate, expand and transplant stem cells and/or their derivatives that gave rise to the new field of ‘regenerative medicine'. While the hope for stem cell-based regenerative medicine grows rapidly, it is becoming clear from extant clinical trials that we still need a greater understanding of the fundamentals of stem cell biology as well as of the disease process in order to make an impact that is efficient, efficacious, safe, reliable, scalable, cost-effective, practical, accessible and affordable. During the past 20 years, the breadth of what is regarded as ‘stem cell research' has expanded immensely, now embracing, for example, tissue-specific, embryonic and induced/reprogrammed stem cells as well as cancer stem cells. Moreover, in the past 3–5 years, clinical trials using or relying on exogenous or endogenous stem cells (including cancer stem cells) have been launched with many more on the drawing board. With such rapid advances in the field, we felt it necessary to concisely take an overview of current thinking in stem cell biology, with a particular eye to potential applications. In this special issue of Experimental & Molecular Medicine, we offer concise coverage of the state-of-the art in a series of representative areas in stem cell research provided by thought leaders in each topic. First, the developmental changes in the characteristics of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the one cobble stone model of tissue-specific stem cells, is discussed by Dr C Eaves. HSCs undergo extensive changes during development in their proliferation, self-renewal and growth factor responsiveness as well as their regenerative capacity. While the mechanisms underlying the shift in HSC properties remain largely unclear, this paper provides a recent view on the miRNA-mediated regulatory mechanisms that can define the developmental changes in HSCs. Another type of stem cell, one that is sometimes shrouded in controversy, ‘very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs)', is discussed by Dr M Ratajczak. Dr Ratajczak addresses this controversy by describing their isolation, in-vivo identity and evidence for pluripotency based on transcriptomics and multi-lineage differentiation potential. Dr E Snyder's group provides a recent view on the use of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) for understanding the mechanisms underlying a complex disease (for example, bipolar disorder) based on responsiveness to a known clinically efficacious drug (for example, lithium). Based on a better understanding of lithium's heretofore unknown mechanism-of-action, then the same hiPSCs may be used to help screen and identify drugs that work better and with less toxicity than lithium against these same targets. In other words, in addition to being potentially useful for autologous cell therapy, hiPSCs can also serve as powerful tools for drug discovery based on their ability to be obtained from patients that harbor a disease and yield cells in a particular lineage that presumably also ‘have that disease'. Moving to more applied stem cell biology, Dr A Caplan provides a concise review of mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-based therapy, describing basic concept as well as a mode of therapeutic action based on the secretion of factors that facilitate establishment of a regenerative microenvironment. Dr Caplan offers a spectrum of clinical studies ranging from immunological disorders to organ regeneration that have employed MSCs. Dr J Yoo provides insight on the use of tissue-engineering scaffolds to facilitate a regenerative microenvironment in injured organs by stimulating the recruitment and proliferation of endogenous stem cells. In addition, the current edition provides representative original researches covering each area of stem cell biology and therapeutic applications. The feasibility of using stem cell therapy in the treatment of neuronal diseases using neuronal stem cells and embryonic stem cell-derived neuronal progenitor cells as model systems is explored. Strategies for recruiting endogenous stem cells during wound healing and the possibility of salivary gland regeneration was explored. Finally, the clinical efficacy of stem cell therapy for femoral head necrosis was evaluated for 128 patients after 5 years of follow-up is discussed. Collectively, these articles not only provide an overview of the state-of-the-art and future prospects for stem cell biology, but also describe the pipeline required to enable stem cell research to impact regenerative medicine. We are particularly thankful to Dr Dae-Myung Jue, the Editor-in-Chief of Experimental & Molecular Medicine and to the Nature Publishing Group for their support on this special series ‘Special Feature on Stem Cells: Current Research and Future Prospects'.

Current Research and Future Prospect on Microstructures Controlling of High Performance Magnesium Alloys During Solidification

This paper was originally prepared for a roundtable on “Chinese Environmental History: Current Research and Future Prospects” at the Eighth International Convention of Asia Scholars. This is a large and complex topic covering a broad range of disciplines. Except for those publications which clearly marked their titles as “environmental history,” it is difficult for us to classify which is indeed a study of “environmental history,” let alone provide a comprehensive summary of the current research of Chinese environmental history. However, I would like to share with you my view on this topic from the perspective of historical geography. This paper consists of the current research of Chinese environmental history, its relationship with Chinese historical geography and my view on its future prospects.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a secondary metabolite of several fungi and widely exists in various species of foods. The establishment of effective methods for OTA reduction is a key measure to ensure food processing and human health. This article reviews the current research of OTA reduction by biological approaches, summarizes the characteristics and efficiency of them, and evaluates the transformation pathways and metabolites safety of each degradation technology. The shortcomings of various methods are pointed out and future prospects are also proposed. Biological methods are the most promising approaches for OTA control. The defect of them is the long processing time and the growth of microbial cells may affect the product quality. Therefore, the control of OTA contamination should be conducted according to the food processing and their product types. Besides, it is significant for the exploitation of new strains, enzyme and novel adsorbents.

Thermoelectrics have long been recognized as a potentially transformative energy conversion technology due to their ability to convert heat directly into electricity. Despite this potential, thermoelectric devices are not in common use because of their low efficiency, and today they are only used in niche markets where reliability and simplicity are more important than performance. However, the ability to create nanostructured thermoelectric materials has led to remarkable progress in enhancing thermoelectric properties, making it plausible that thermoelectrics could start being used in new settings in the near future. Of the various types of nanostructured materials, bulk nanostructured materials have shown the most promise for commercial use because, unlike many other nanostructured materials, they can be fabricated in large quantities and in a form that is compatible with existing thermoelectric device configurations. The first generation of these materials is currently being developed for commercialization, but creating the second generation will require a fundamental understanding of carrier transport in these complex materials which is presently lacking. In this review we introduce the principles and present status of bulk nanostructured materials, then describe some of the unanswered questions about carrier transport and how current research is addressing these questions. Finally, we discuss several research directions which could lead to the next generation of bulk nanostructured materials.

The article deals with issues related to research methodology in the financial field. An important aspect of the author's approach is a new look at the research, which is proposed to be considered as prospective and current. The argument for this approach is the need to combine traditional basic and applied research into a group of prospective, ie those that result in some long-term goals and can usually result in scientific novelty. Instead, current research is no less practical. It is through current research that the necessary measures are being implemented. This applies to technical, technological, organisational, economic and financial measures, which ultimately provide some improvement in the activities of any entity. The characteristics of prospective and current research are given, which determine the differences between them. In particular, such characteristics are: the expected result, the tools for the study and the composition of researchers - performers of prospective or current research. Based on the division of research into prospective and current, the different directions of these types of scientific and practical research are determined. It is noted that the formulation of tasks of different purpose and nature requires the definition of certain pre-defined sets of research methods. Narrowing of methodical tools can lead to erroneous results. Instead, an integrated approach, formulated not only for a hypothetical goal and potential outcome, but also for the choice of research methods, is an important safeguard against erroneous conclusions. To do this, a matrix has been developed, in which complexes of research methods (for several examples) have been formed, which will allow to obtain the most substantiated result of the research, both prospective and current. Such examples are: economic and social efficiency of financial research, public policy in the field of finance, funding schemes for research. A study of well-known empirical and theoretical research methods has been carried out, from the standpoint of the peculiarities of financial research in scientific and practical activities. In particular, examples from the financial sphere of possible searches, with the help of general methods of analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction and analogy, are investigated and given. From empirical methods examples of directions of possible researches, with use of comparison, experiment, modeling, are considered and resulted. The generally accepted and special characteristics of research in the field of finance are considered. Among them are important for financiers the concept of science and the need to master the scientific approach to financial research; the nature and characteristics of the research process; scientific (theoretical) base and financial aspects of research; research priorities; directions of research of natural and social sciences; stages of scientific research; methodological approach to the study of efficiency in finance. These issues are important for researchers, as well as for students and graduate students studying in financial educational-professional and educational-scientific programs.

Aptamers are artificial nucleic acid ligands that can be generated against amino acids, drugs, proteins and other molecules. They are isolated from combinatorial libraries of synthetic nucleic acid by an iterative process of adsorption, recovery and reamplification. Aptamers, first reported in 1990, are attracting interest in the areas of therapeutics and diagnostics and offer themselves as ideal candidates for use as biocomponents in biosensors (aptasensors), possessing many advantages over state of the art affinity sensors. The properties of aptamers, their applicability to biosensor technology, current research and future prospects are addressed in this short review.

Avian influenza is a highly pathogenic poultry disease found around the globe. It is caused by different strains of avian influenza virus. The H5N1 strain is not spread worldwide in humans, although, sporadic contaminations have been reported. It is known that the virus spreads from animals to humans however, there is concern regarding the evolution of the virus and that it is now possible for the virus to spread from human to human. There is currently no vaccine available that can act against all strains of the virus, although some vaccines have reached clinical trial stage. Regardless, there is a great need to develop a vaccine which will be effective against all strains of avian influenza. This review will focus on recent advances with special reference to the development of DNA vaccines against avian influenza. The specific importance, the hurdles to development and the possible future strategies for the development of DNA vaccines against multiple strains of avian influenza will be discussed.

5 - Genome mapping tools: current research and future prospects

This book provides an overview of the current research and future prospects in a variety of important areas in nuclear physics by leaders in their respective areas. Advances in both theory and experiments are covered. The topics included new insights into the fission process and the use of fission in the characterization of nuclear fuel waste. High spin spectroscopy studies of both proton and neutron rich nuclei are described. New and emerging areas covered include relativistic heavy ion physics at RHIC as it turns on in 1999, to new opportunities with radioactive ion beams at several laboratories, to prospects for new neutrino studies with the high intensity 1GeV proton beam from the Spallation Neutron source when it is completed in 2005. A major part of this book includes current and future research with stable and radioactive ion beams at the Holifield RIB facility and the performance and first results with the new generation recoil mass spectrometer at Holifield.

In this paper, selection of optimum DC link capacitor for Integrated Modular Motor Drives (IMMD) is presented. First, a review of IMMD technologies is given and current research and future prospects are studied. Inverter topologies and gate drive techniques are evaluated in terms of DC link performance. The urge for volume reduction in IMMD poses a challenge for the selection of optimum DC link capacitor. DC Link capacitor types are discussed and critical aspects in selecting the DC links capacitor are listed. Analytical modeling of DC link capacitor parameters is performed and it is verified by simulations conducted using MATLAB/Simulink. Optimum selection of DC link capacitor is achieved based on the electrical, thermal and economical model.

Spent coffee grounds: A review on current research and future prospects

One of the diverse groups of organisms after insects, fungi and its diversification are one of the debated topics among the mycologists because they are one important organism that plays various roles in the ecosystem. In the ecosystem, fungi exist in various environments like soil and water and in association with plants as well as animals in which they work as decomposers mainly. Earlier, fungi were under the black box and known as only pathogens but as the research was being conducted these organisms got the spotlight and began to be considered as beneficial. Nowadays, fungi are being used for industrial, agriculture, and environmental purposes like to make various products like dyes, medicines, and food; for protection and as nutrient provider; and for cleaning and removing harmful pollutants. In this chapter, the capabilities and their role in various fields have been explained.KeywordsAgricultureApplicationsBiodiversityEnvironmentFungiIndustry

One of the most important topics in international innovation management research in recent years has been the new technological breakthroughs that many organizations are using to solve the technical challenges of "green performance". However, the existing studies have been focusing on green, ecological, product and technology perspectives to explore sustainable green strategies and build up core competencies globally, but they have always neglected the efficient path of innovation from the spiritual level to help green, which in turn has led to the failure of green innovation culture to be implemented and effectively guide the practice. In view of this, this paper analyzes the current research status of green innovation culture based on literature review and reveals the tracing path of green innovation culture. Finally, this paper makes a prospective view to provide important theoretical and practical guidance for promoting the in-depth study of green innovation culture.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of death worldwide, despite progress made in detection and management through surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. Novel therapeutic agents have improved survival in both the adjuvant and advanced disease settings, albeit with an increased risk of toxicity and cost. However, metastatic disease continues to have a poor long-term prognosis and significant challenges remain due to late stage diagnosis and treatment failure. Biomarkers are a key tool in early detection, prognostication, survival, and predicting treatment response. The past three decades have seen advances in genomics and molecular pathology of cancer biomarkers, allowing for greater individualization of therapy with a positive impact on survival outcomes. Clinically useful predictive biomarkers aid clinical decision making, such as the presence of KRAS gene mutations predicting benefit from epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibiting antibodies. However, few biomarkers have been translated into clinical practice highlighting the need for further investigation. We review a range of protein, DNA and RNA-based biomarkers under investigation for diagnostic, predictive, and prognostic properties for CRC. In particular, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA), have been investigated as biomarkers in a range of cancers including colorectal cancer. Specifically, we evaluate the potential role of lncRNA plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1), an oncogene, as a diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic biomarker in colorectal cancer.