505 ± 0.230 ng/mL); p less then 0.05. The cut-off value for serum PCT levels was 0.7 ng/mL for the diagnosis of infections in DCPs, for which the sensitivity and specificity were 93.1% and 73.2%, respectively. The AUC was 0.91 (95% CI 0.83-0.99). CONCLUSIONS Serum procalcitonin seems to provide satisfactory diagnostic biomarkers in SBP. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.Diabetic nephropathy is a frequent complication of diabetes mellitus as a result of functional and structural modifications in multiple kidney compartments. Probiotics have risen lately as the forthcoming therapeutic intervention but have not been systematically evaluated in diabetic nephropathy so far. The aim of this review is to systematically evaluate randomized controlled trials and experimental studies assessing the effect of probiotic supplements on diabetic nephropathy. An extensive literature search was conducted through electronic databases (Pubmed, Scopus, Cinahl and Medline) with the Medical Subject Headings and entry terms of “diabetic nephropathy”, “diabetic renal disease” and “probiotics”. The search yielded 116 results, 9 of which met the inclusion criteria for this review. Most of the microorganisms used in the studies belonged to the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium genus although they did not follow a specific dosage. The dosage ranged from 2×107 to 6×1010 CFU/ g. The form of presentation of the probiotic agents varied across the studies (capsules, sachets, soy milk, kefir and honey). The majority of the studies demonstrated the benefits of probiotic supplementation on the reduction of inflammation, oxidative stress and on the amelioration of renal function biomarkers in subjects with diabetic nephropathy. Neither of them observed any gastrointestinal adverse effects during the intervention time with probiotic supplementation. However, the limited number of the included studies does not allow the generalization of the observed results. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to conduct randomized controlled trials with larger samples and longer follow-up in order to produce more valid results on the effectiveness of probiotic supplementation in diabetic nephropathy. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.Glutamate receptor, ionotropic, N-methyl-D-aspartate associated protein 1 (GRINA) is a member of the NMDA receptors (NMDARs) and involved in several neurological diseases, which governs the key processes of neuronal cell death or the release of neurotransmitters. Upregulation of GRINA has been reported in multiple diseases in human beings, such as major depressive disorder (MDD) and schizophrenia (SCZ), with which the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In this review, we provide a general overview about the expression and physiological function of GRINA in the central nervous system (CNS) diseases, including stroke, depression ,epilepsy, SCZ, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) belongs to ERBB family of tyrosine kinase receptor. EGFR signaling cascade is a key regulator in cell proliferation, differentiation, division, survival, and cancer development. In this review, we explore EGFR structure and its mutations, signaling pathway, ligand binding and EGFR dimerization, EGF/EGFR interaction, and the progress in the development of EGFR inhibitors. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.BACKGROUND Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to conventional antibiotics is becoming one of the main global health threats and novel alternative strategies are urging. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), once forgotten, are coming back into scene as promising tools to overcome bacterial resistance. Alectinib inhibitor Recent findings have attracted attention to the potentiality of AMPs to work as antibiotic adjuvants. METHOD In this review, we have tried to collect the current available information on the mechanism of action of AMPs in synergy with other antimicrobial agents. In particular, we have focused on the mechanisms of action that mediate the inhibition of emergence of bacterial resistance by AMPs. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION We find in the literature many examples where AMPs can significantly reduce the antibiotic effective concentration. Mainly, the peptides work at the bacterial cell wall and thereby facilitate the drug access to its intracellular target. Complementarily, AMPs can also contribute to permeate the exopolysaccharide layer of biofilm communities, or even prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm growth. Secondly, we find other peptides that can directly block the emergence of bacterial resistance mechanisms or interfere with the community quorum sensing systems. Interestingly, the effective peptide concentrations for adjuvant activity and inhibition of bacterial resistance are much lower than the required for a direct antimicrobial action. Finally, many AMPs expressed by innate immune cells are endowed with immunomodulatory properties and can participate in the host response against infection. Recent studies in animal models confirm that AMPs work as adjuvants at non-toxic concentrations and can be safely administrated for novel combined chemotherapies. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.BACKGROUND Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that threatens the health of the elderly. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is considered to be the prodromal stage of AD. To date, AD or MCI diagnosis is established after irreversible brain structure alterations. Therefore, the development of new biomarkers is crucial to early detection and treatment of this disease. At present, there exist some research studies showing that the radiomics analysis can be good diagnosis and classification method in AD and MCI. OBJECTIVE An extensive review of the literature was carried out to explore the application of the radiomics analysis in the diagnosis and classification among AD patients, MCI patients and normal controls (NCs). RESULTS Thirty completed MRI radiomic studies were finally selected for inclusion. The process of radiomics analysis usually includes acquisition of image data, region of interest (ROI) segmentation, feature extracting, feature selection, and classification or prediction.