Berkeley Scientific Journal

Anomaly Editorial Note

Liquid biopsy technology has evolved into a promising, minimally invasive clinical tool for cancer diagnosis and oncology research. Liquid biopsy is a broad term referring to the testing of bodily fluids: spinal fluid, sweat, urine, and most commonly blood as it is materially dense; it is an analysis technique that detects various biomarkers, including common biomarkers such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), and exosomes. There is particular interest in how effective early cancer diagnosis with liquid biopsies are, and its accuracy in early diagnosis prior to other prominent cancer testing/screenings. After studying a bibliometric review, we identified hot spot topics to focus on and wrote this non-systematic review article regarding new details about common biomarkers (ctDNA, exosomes, and CTC), novel technology, and recent tissue vs. liquid biopsy comparisons (non-small cell lung cancer and glioblastoma). More specifically, our study focuses on particular cancers and associated novel progressions in clinical studies that utilize liquid biopsies. This literature review covers updated findings from other reviews and clinical studies centered on recent advances in standardization, development, and application of novel high-throughput technology. This study also compares tissue biopsies—a standard cancer diagnostic technique—and its complementary role in early cancer detection with liquid biopsies. Additionally, this paper explores topical challenges in liquid biopsy specificity, efficacy, and cost-efficiency in regards to personalized cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The creation and evolution of black holes have been the subject of ongoing debate and investigation due to their elusive nature, specifically in the mass distribution of stellar mass black holes. Using data and observations of changes in the remnant mass of stars, a mass distribution function for black hole formation was created. Coupled with an analysis of heavy element production, there is discussion of the mass minimum needed by a single-star stellar system to form a black hole. It can be concluded at the end of this paper that stellar progenitor systems of 20 or more solar masses with helium cores experience a fallback that propels the compact object past the maximum mass of a neutron star. This instigates its collapse into a black hole. According to current models, it can also be shown that progenitors surpassing 40M give rise to black holes without a preceding supernova explosion.