Mapping green technologies literature published between 1995 and 2019: a scientometric review from the perspective of the manufacturing industry.

This study presents a comprehensive literature review and gives an insight into the increasing research trends that are based on the discipline of green technology (GTs) in the manufacturing industry. Prior research in this field indicates that there is a scarcity of research on the topic. Therefore, this study seeks to draft a multi-perspective literature review that is based on GTs in the manufacturing industry. Moreover, to make this analysis more detailed, the science-mapping technique and the quantitative approach were also applied on 5734 bibliographic references that were extracted from the web of science. Ultimately, the focus of the research is to understand the tendencies and trends in journals, institutions, and the main areas of research, along with the integration style of these elements in the previous literature that has been written on the subject of GTs. This technique also helps to fill in the research gap, address the limitations of existing literature, and shed light on the various possible directions this could lead to for future research. The implications of this research offer wide directives for editors, researchers, research institutions, policymakers, and practitioners.

Antibacterial and antifungal activities of the polyphenolic fractions isolated from the seed coat of Abrus precatorius and Caesalpinia crista.

Crude seed coat extracts from Abrus precatorius and Caesalpinia crista were purified into four different fractions namely phenolic acids, flavonols, flavanols and anthocyanin which were then examined for their polyphenol contents and antimicrobial potentials. The fractions derived from seed coat of A. precatorius were found more potent with high phenolic and flavonoid contents as compared to C. crista fractions. The significant antibacterial activity was observed against all strain tested by the fractions of both samples apart from anthocyanin fraction. It was interesting to note that the phenolic acid fractions of both samples was found more active against gram-negative bacteria, while gram-positive bacteria were found to be more sensitive towards flavonol fractions. The phenolic acid and flavonol fractions being potent antibacterial were selected to demonstrate the antifungal capacity of two samples. Among them, phenolic acid fraction of both samples was found active towards all the fungal strain.

Use of natalizumab in multiple sclerosis: current perspectives.

INTRODUCTION: Natalizumab is an efficacious monoclonal antibody approved for use in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Multiple studies have demonstrated reduced relapse rate, decreased disability progression and prolonged disease-free intervals with natalizumab use. However, natalizumab is associated with an increased risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), thus restricting its widespread use with populations at high risk for developing PML. Recently, the effect of natalizumab in secondary-progressive (SPMS) population has been explored. AREAS COVERED: This review highlights the pathophysiology behind disease progression in MS and summarizes various attributes of natalizumab including: its pharmacological properties and global economic impact, results of clinical efficacy studies, its role in SPMS, pregnancy and its adverse events profile including PML and discontinuation protocols. EXPERT OPINION: Despite an established role in reducing RRMS disease activity, natalizumab has found limited use in SPMS due to insufficient evidence of efficacy. Current disease-modifying therapies exert modest overall benefit in SPMS owing to its complex pathophysiology, higher prevalence of comorbidities and increased PML risk with age and lack of reliable outcome measures. Finding more appropriate MRI and clinical outcome measures is quintessential for designing future randomized trials and possibly exploring primary neuroprotective agents for treating SPMS.

Clinical relevance of brain atrophy assessment in multiple sclerosis. Implications for its use in a clinical routine.

INTRODUCTION: Brain atrophy measurement in multiple sclerosis (MS) has become an important outcome for determining patients at risk for developing physical and cognitive disability. AREAS COVERED: In this article, we discuss the methodological issues related to using this MRI metric routinely, in a clinical setting. Understanding trajectories of annualized whole brain, gray and white matter, thalamic volume loss, and enlargement of ventricular space in specific MS phenotypes is becoming increasingly important. Evidence is mounting that disease-modifying treatments exert a positive effect on slowing brain atrophy progression in MS. Expert Commentary: While there is a need to translate measurement of brain atrophy to clinical routine at the individual patient level, there are still a number of challenges to be met before this can actually happen, including how to account for biological confounding factors and pseudoatrophy, standardize acquisition and analyses parameters, which can influence the accuracy of the assessments.