Century Of Discovery Research Articles

Disabling Pansclerotic Morphea: A century of discovery.

Disabling pansclerotic morphea (DPM) is a rare systemic inflammatory disorder at the severe end of the localized scleroderma spectrum which primarily affects children under 14 years of age. The disease is characterized by rapid sclerosis with circumferential involvement that frequently extends to the fascia, muscle, and bone. Disease progression often involves development of sclerotic plaques, chronic skin ulcers, and painful joint contractures leading to patient immobility with a high mortality rate. Internal organ fibrosis is typically absent. The aggressive and systemic nature of the disease leads patients to seek multidisciplinary care where current therapies are targeted towards immunomodulation and measures to preserve mobility while limiting infection, but often have limited efficacy. Here, we summarize all DPM patients in the English literature, common clinical symptoms, laboratory investigations, and treatments reported to date. Assessment of published cases suggest that the number of therapies does not influence disease outcome and that female patients were younger at the time of reported death. Clinician familiarity and awareness of common DPM symptoms are important for an accurate and early diagnosis. Furthermore, knowledge of the treatments that have been reported to be effective in mitigating disease progression may be helpful in expanding the treatment options available to patients.

СОВРЕМЕННЫЕ ТЕНДЕНЦИИ РАЗВИТИЯ ТРАНCФЕРА ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ (НА ПРИМЕРЕ ЭНЕРГЕТИКИ)

The 20th century is the century of discoveries and new technologies. The following 21st century is characterized by the development of the economy due to the growth of investment in technology and the development of international technology transfer, i.e. technology exchange. The growth of knowledge is limited by the objective limitations of the existing means of research and experimentation, and is also limited by the financial budget. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the improvement of business processes and the environment through innovation, the development of e-retail and high-tech products. The study determined that the United States is the leader in R&D spending, followed by other developed countries (Germany, South Korea, Japan), while China ranks first in terms of the number of patents and the level of innovation. Russia ranks 7th in the world in terms of the number of registered and protected inventions, and R&D spending is less than 1% of GDP in 2021. A study of nuclear industry projects led to the conclusion that it is not very susceptible to sanctions. Rosatom State Corporation cooperates with both Asian and European countries. At the same time, one can single out a trend towards a decrease in sales of technologies in embodied form due to sanctions rhetoric for other sectors of the extractive industry in Russia. An important constraint is the young legislation in the field of innovation. Against the backdrop of insufficient state support for the scientific sphere and sanctions pressure, market mechanisms do not ensure the strengthening of cooperation between Russia and other countries. For Russia, it is important to exchange developments between participants in the local market, with colleagues, at least in the industry. It is not advisable to expect the exchange of technologies with Chinese, Indian and other partners who are guided by TT with Western countries; active measures are needed to promote public-private partnerships, create conditions for “cultivation” and commercialization of domestic developments in technology parks and other clusters.

Anaplasma Species in Africa-A Century of Discovery: A Review on Molecular Epidemiology, Genetic Diversity, and Control.

Anaplasma species, belonging to the family Anaplasmataceae in the order Rickettsiales, are obligate intracellular bacteria responsible for various tick-borne diseases of veterinary and human significance worldwide. With advancements in molecular techniques, seven formal species of Anaplasma and numerous unclassified species have been described. In Africa, several Anaplasma species and strains have been identified in different animals and tick species. This review aims to provide an overview of the current understanding of the molecular epidemiology and genetic diversity of classified and unclassified Anaplasma species detected in animals and ticks across Africa. The review also covers control measures that have been taken to prevent anaplasmosis transmission on the continent. This information is critical when developing anaplasmosis management and control programs in Africa.

Diversité géologique en Hainaut, deux siècles de découvertes

Après avoir montré les particularités géologiques de la province du Hainaut couvrant 500 millions d’années d’histoire, les auteurs discutent de l’évolution des idées sur deux siècles de recherches. Enfin, ils abordent une notion qui tend à se développer de plus en plus : relations entre sous-sol, paysage, patrimoine construit, environnement.

A century of discovery: Mining 100 years of honey bee research

Honey bees have been an important area of research and study going back at least to the days of Aristotle in the third century B.C. The amount and breadth of this research have been steadily increasing over time, especially during the modern age with the growing importance of honey bees to our society in agriculture, economics, food, medicine, and even computing technology. Even for those familiar with bees and scientific literature, the volume and diversity of information can be daunting. The aim of this study is to survey the last 100 years of available scientific research related to or inspired by honey bees and show its evolution, progression, and diversification through time by using text mining to conduct both a historical and topical analysis on the last 100 years of this research. This process shows how this research has grown and evolved over time while informing researchers of the depth, breadth, and dynamic nature of the research. This paper presents the analysis of the titles and abstracts of the 30,355 unique peer reviewed journal articles we identified related to honey bees and beekeeping and articulates relevant topics and changes over 100 years of bee research analyzed in ten time periods from 1917 through 2016. This study shows how honey bee research has evolved from a sub-field of other disciplines to a strong discipline in its own right and how it has further been enriched by contributions from other sciences.

Beyond cells - The virome in the human holobiont.

Viromics, or viral metagenomics, is a relatively new and burgeoning field of research that studies the complete collection of viruses forming part of the microbiota in any given niche. It has strong foundations rooted in over a century of discoveries in the field of virology and recent advances in molecular biology and sequencing technologies. Historically, most studies have deconstructed the concept of viruses into a simplified perception of viral agents as mere pathogens, which demerits the scope of large-scale viromic analyses. Viruses are, in fact, much more than regular parasites. They are by far the most dynamic and abundant entity and the greatest killers on the planet, as well as the most effective geo-transforming genetic engineers and resource recyclers, acting on all life strata in any habitat. Yet, most of this uncanny viral world remains vastly unexplored to date, greatly hindered by the bewildering complexity inherent to such studies and the methodological and conceptual limitations. Viromic studies are just starting to address some of these issues but they still lag behind microbial metagenomics. In recent years, however, higher-throughput analysis and resequencing have rekindled interest in a field that is just starting to show its true potential. In this review, we take a look at the scientific and technological developments that led to the advent of viral and bacterial metagenomics with a particular, but not exclusive, focus on human viromics from an ecological perspective. We also address some of the most relevant challenges that current viral studies face and ponder on the future directions of the field.

Emerging genomic applications in mammalian ecology, evolution, and conservation

Genomic technologies have advanced rapidly in recent decades and have ushered in an exciting new era for the study of mammals. Mammalogists working with non-model species are now able to explore many new research areas that were unimaginable only a short time ago. For example, it is currently possible for individual researchers to sequence and assemble genomes for mammalian species of their choosing and to generate genome-wide DNA sequence data from hundreds of individuals simultaneously. Moreover, the miniaturization of both PCR and sequencing technology has created new opportunities for generating real-time DNA or RNA sequence data in the field. Here, we highlight emerging genomic technologies and associated methods that are providing exciting new research avenues for mammalogists in the fields of evolutionary genomics and ecology. Our aim is to not only provide a resource for novel experimental design, but also to provide a record of the current state of genomic applications as the American Society of Mammalogists enters a new century of discovery.

Touch Me Not: Sense and Sensibility in Early Modern Botany

Abstract The history of early modern botany is studded with stories of discovery, identification, recognition, and accommodation. One of these stories refers to the plant known to early modern observers as ‘sensitive plant’ and mimosa pudica. Because of its tendency to fold its leaves when they are touched by an external agent, the plant was the subject of investigations that ranged from philosophical discussions on the nature of movement, perception and appetite to inquiries into the most general cycles of life. In this article, I show how the taxonomic, terminological, geographic and cultural profile of the mimosa emerged over the course of three centuries of discoveries, observations and discussions, from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries.

Vitamin B3 in Health and Disease: Toward the Second Century of Discovery.

This introductory chapter briefly reviews the history, chemistry, and biochemistry of NAD (the term NAD as it is used here refers to both oxidized and reduced forms of the molecule) consuming ADP-ribose transfer enzymes as components of the involvement of vitamin B3 in health and disease.

Homeodomains, Hedgehogs, and Happiness.

Developmental biologists have had a spectacular quarter century of discoveries, building on many decades of work earlier, discovering molecular, cellular, and genetic mechanisms that underlie the magical process by which an egg becomes a plant or animal. Among the discoveries were homeodomains, DNA-binding domains that allow transcription factors to recognize their target genes, and the Hedgehog signaling pathway, which is used in many organs and tissues for communication among cells. The experience of unveiling the mechanisms and molecules connected to both of these findings has been remarkable, joyful, difficult, and a time of great teamwork and collaboration within and between laboratory groups. More than ever it is possible to discern the evolutionary processes, and their mechanisms, that led to the diversity of life on earth. A huge amount of work remains to be done to obtain a broad understanding of what happened and how development works.

A Literature Investigation about Electrospinning and Nanofibers: Historical Trends, Current Status and Future Challenges.

The development of new fibrilar materials based on electrospinning (ES) technique has a notable history of nearly four centuries of discoveries and results. The eletrospinning manufacturing is one of the most widely reported methods for nanofiber (NF) manufacturing, providing security, high quality and productivity. In spite of the first patent about electrospinning has been applied in April 5(th), 1900 by John Francis Cooley, a historical perspective (since 1600s) about this amazing discovery represents an important step for future applications. Nanofibers have been considered one of the top interesting fundamental study objects for academicians, and greatest intriguing business materials for modern industry. As a consequence, lucrative organizations and companies have explored the relevance of nanofibers. In this paper, the quantity of published manuscripts and patent inventions is presented and the correlation of research activities to the production of new electrospinning materials is shown. China and the United States have been leading in electrospinning and nanofibers development. The company triumph is mostly dependent on applications improvement relevant for broader business society. A dramatic rise of interest in nanofibers produced by electrospinning technique has been confirmed due to the publication data, author's affiliation, keywords, and essential characterization procedures. Is has been shown that the number of publications on electrospinning and nanofibers researches from academic institutions is higher than industrial laboratories. More than 1,891 patents using the term "electrospinning" and 2,960 with the term "nanofibers" according to the European Patent Office at title or abstract have been filed around the world up to 2013. These numbers just continue to increase along with worldwide ES-related sales. Curiously, for the same period 11,973 electrospinning documents and 18,679 nanofibers-related (mainly manuscripts) were published considering the Scopus database with the same terms in the title, abstract or using keywords. Thus, statistically, there are more published manuscripts worldwide than patents for both keywords.

Year in Review 2014: Aerosol Delivery Devices.

After centuries of discoveries and technological growth, aerosol therapy remains a cornerstone of care in the management of both acute and chronic respiratory conditions. Aerosol therapy embraces the concept that medicine is both an art and a science, where an explicit understanding of the science of aerosol therapy, the nuances of the different delivery devices, and the ability to provide accurate and reliable education to patients become increasingly important. The purpose of this article is to review recent literature regarding aerosol delivery devices in a style that readers of Respiratory Care may use as a key topic resource.

From crystallography to structural biology, a century of discoveries

From crystallography, the technique mostly used to study the structure of matter, the field mutated into structural biology, has mutated in life sciences into structural biology, which has been developed as an essential and rather successful area of research to fully understand the workings of cellular pathways. The application of physical approaches to biological systems has been crucial to comprehend the structure and function of the biological components of living organisms. In this assay the author walks the reader through the last century, which has witnessed how this life sciences research area was born and moved towards larger assemblies in the core of crucial biological problems. The influence of research in physics, biochemistry and molecular biology has been key in the successes and large body of seminal results obtained by structural biologists. The author proposes that the future of this area implies the integration of its results at the cellular level apart of using more quantitative approaches to describe biological processes.

Is digoxin a breast cancer risk factor?

Breast cancer has remained a major public health issue across the globe. It appears that despite centuries of discovery and attention to this disease, there are still many unresolved issues surroun...

Milestones of Lynch syndrome: 1895-2015.

Lynch syndrome, which is now recognized as the most common hereditary colorectal cancer condition, is characterized by the predisposition to a spectrum of cancers, primarily colorectal cancer and endometrial cancer. We chronicle over a century of discoveries that revolutionized the diagnosis and clinical management of Lynch syndrome, beginning in 1895 with Warthin's observations of familial cancer clusters, through the clinical era led by Lynch and the genetic era heralded by the discovery of causative mutations in mismatch repair (MMR) genes, to ongoing challenges.

Mucopolysacccharidoses: from understanding to treatment, a century of discoveries

After the first description of a patient recognized as a MPS case was made in 1917, several similar cases were described and identified. Observations reported in the middle of the twentieth century concerning the presence of acid mucopolysaccharides (later called glycosaminoglycans, or GAGs) in tissues and especially in urine of patients were instrumental in providing an identity for these diseases, which became referred as "mucopolysaccharidoses" (MPS). In the late 1960's it was demonstrated that MPS were caused by defects in the breakdown of GAGs, and the specific enzyme deficiencies for the 11 types and subtypes of MPS were identified thereafter. Genes involved in the MPS were subsequently identified, and a large number of disease-causing mutations were identified in each one. Although individually rare, MPS are relatively frequent as a group, with an overall incidence estimated as 1:22,000. The increased excretion of urinary GAGs observed in the vast majority of MPS patients provides a simple screening method, the diagnosis usually being confirmed by the identification of the specific enzyme deficiency. Molecular analysis also plays a role, being helpful for phenotype prediction, prenatal diagnosis and especially for the identification of carriers. As the diseases are rare and diagnosis requires sophisticated methods, the establishment of reference laboratories for MPS identification is recommended. The successful experience of the MPS Brazil Network in providing access to information and diagnosis may be considered as an option for developing countries. The development of therapeutic strategies for MPS, including bone marrow/hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (BMT/HSCT) and enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), changed the natural history of many MPS types. However, some challenges still remain, including the prevention of cognitive decline which occurs in some MPS. Newer approaches, such as intratechal ERT, substrate reduction therapy, read-through, gene therapy and encapsulated modified cells may provide a better outcome for these diseases in the near future. As early diagnosis and early treatment seems to improve treatment outcomes, and as newborn screening is now technically feasible, pilot programs (including one in progress in an area with high-incidence of MPS VI in northeastern Brazil) should provide information about its potential impact in reducing the morbidity associated with MPS diseases.

Cerebellar Research: Two Centuries of Discoveries

Numerous laboratories currently focus their activities on cerebellar research. The cerebellum is attractive due to its sophisticated circuitry, high degree of modifiability combined with unique operational mechanisms, and the growing awareness of its multiple roles. Works of pioneers of these last two centuries, such as Rolando, Flourens, Magendie, Luciani, Lugaro, Babinski, Holmes, Cajal, Larsell, Eccles, Voogd, Llinas, or Ito, still exert a strong influence in the way we investigate cerebellar functions. The amount of knowledge is exploding, thanks to advances in genetics, molecular and cellular analyses, profusion of brain imaging techniques, novel behavioral assessments, and reshaping of models of cerebellar function. More than ever, strong and consistent intellectual efforts are required to generate homogeneous research outcomes that might exert a significant influence in the forthcoming domains of research. Because research is often based on the results of our predecessors, The Cerebellum has launched a section called Cerebellar Classics. Papers selected represent key steps for the discovery of some of the secrets of the cerebellar circuitry. These seminal contributions offer a portal to the past to modern scholars.

Science in the Spanish and Portuguese Empires, 1500-1800 (review)

Reviewed by: Science in the Spanish and Portuguese Empires, 1500-1800 Timothy J. Coates Science in the Spanish and Portuguese Empires, 1500-1800. Edited by Daniela Bleichmar, Paula De Vos, Kristin Huffine, and Kevin Sheehan. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 2009. 456 pp. $65.00 (cloth). There is a very large and curious museum in Ponta Delgada on the island of São Miguel in the Azores. The Carlos Machado Museum (begun in the 1880s) is a sprawling natural history collection that contains examples of most seaborne animals in the North Atlantic as well as land animals living in the Azores, birds, botany, geology, mineralogy, ethnography, and many other materials that completely fill the large former monastery of Santo André, where the collection is housed. Wandering from room to room, the visitor is struck by the wide-ranging scientific curiosity of the original curator, Dr. Carlos Machado. One's first reaction to such a collection might be its perceived uniqueness and to question its utility. This collection of essays shows how both impressions are erroneous. In a very real sense, Machado was continuing the work outlined in this important and pathbreaking new work, which introduces the reader to the nearly totally ignored topic (in English-speaking works) of science (in a very broad sense) in the early modern Iberian world. The work is divided into four parts: "Reassessing the Role of Iberia in Early Modern Science," "New Worlds, New Sciences," "Knowledge Productions: Local Contexts, Global Empires," and "Commerce, Curiosities, and the Circulation of Knowledge." [End Page 153] After a brief introduction to the collection of essays by Jorge Cañizares-Esguerra, part 1, "Reassessing the Role of Iberia in Early Modern Science," presents two historiographical overviews of the literature. David Goodman ("Science, Medicine, and Technology in Colonial Spanish America") discusses Spanish Colonial America, and Palmira Fontes da Costa and Henrique Leitão ("Portuguese Imperial Science") do the same for the Portuguese side. Both essays are very strong and quite complete. Goodman notes that the Spanish have produced a wide range of scientific works ranging from cartography to botany, while Fontes da Costa and Leitão note that the Portuguese have produced a great deal in nautical-related publications at the expense of neglecting many other areas. If anyone wanted an orientation to the current state of scientific-related publications in early modern Iberia or these former empires, I would highly recommend these essays, which also include complete references in their notes. The editors state that "a second aim of the volume is to challenge traditional core/periphery models that place Europe at the center of scientific knowledge production by characterizing colonial science as essentially subordinate, derivative, or imitative" (p. xxi). Part 2 of this collection, "New Worlds, New Sciences," then challenges these assumptions by "focusing on the ways in which the natural world of the Americas served to complicate and alter European categories of knowledge . . ." (p. xxi). The three essays that make up this section all deal with science in Iberia itself. María Portuondo ("Cosmography at the Casa, Consejo, and Corte during the Century of Discovery") discusses the tension among the overlapping locales of scientific inquiry in early modern Spain: the Casa de Contratación (House of Trade), the Consejo de Indias (Council of Indies), and the Royal Court. In her discussion, she also clarifies the roles played by each of these three institutions and how they supported each other. Onésimo Almeida ("Science during the Portuguese Maritime Discoveries") examines the interaction between what he labels "experimenters and theoreticians" and those who sailed the seas and made written observations and those who stayed behind in Portugal and examined these findings. Almeida quite correctly notes the remarkable figures of D. João de Castro and Pedro Nunes, excellent examples of this interaction. Juan Pimentel ("Baroque Natures") delves into the writings of the Jesuit scholar Juan E. Nieremberg and his understanding and explanations of the unfolding natural history of the Americas. Part 3, "Knowledge Productions: Local Contexts, Global Empires," is the flip side of part 2 in that it "focuses on the importance of local scientific traditions that developed in the empire," with emphasis on [End Page 154] the reality that...

Unknowledgeables Promote “Unculturables”

Scotoma is defined as “a regression or loss of insight and knowledge,” and has afflicted many fields of science [see O. Sacks in Robert B. Silvers (ed.), Hidden Histories of Science, New York Review Books, 1995]. A scotoma has enveloped many molecular biologists who apparently have forgotten or are unaware of a century of discoveries on the complexities of bacterial nutrition. For more than a decade, reports continue to appear which contain statements of the following kind: “More than 99% of prokaryotes in the environment cannot be cultured in the laboratory, a phenomenon that limits our understanding of microbial physiology, genetics and community ecology. One way around this problem is metagenomics…” (P. D. Schloss and J. Handelsman, Genome Biol. 6:229, 2005). Numerous similar examples in the current literature are evoked in Google searches for “unculturability.”

The Cerebellum, Cerebellar Disorders, and Cerebellar Research—Two Centuries of Discoveries

Research on the cerebellum is evolving rapidly. The exquisiteness of the cerebellar circuitry with a unique geometric arrangement has fascinated researchers from numerous disciplines. The painstaking works of pioneers of these last two centuries, such as Rolando, Flourens, Luciani, Babinski, Holmes, Cajal, Larsell, or Eccles, still exert a strong influence in the way we approach cerebellar functions. Advances in genetic studies, detailed molecular and cellular analyses, profusion of brain imaging techniques, emergence of behavioral assessments, and reshaping of models of cerebellar function are generating an immense amount of knowledge. Simultaneously, a better definition of cerebellar disorders encountered in the clinic is emerging. The essentials of a trans-disciplinary blending are expanding. The analysis of the literature published these last two decades indicates that the gaps between domains of research are vanishing. The launch of the society for research on the cerebellum (SRC) illustrates how cerebellar research is burgeoning. This special issue gathers the contributions of the inaugural conference of the SRC dedicated to the mechanisms of cerebellar function. Contributions were brought together around five themes: (1) cerebellar development, death, and regeneration; (2) cerebellar circuitry: processing and function; (3) mechanisms of cerebellar plasticity and learning; (4) cerebellar function: timing, prediction, and/or coordination?; (5) anatomical and disease perspectives on cerebellar function.