Unlocking new treatments for bone diseases: using PEPITEM to strengthen bones and prevent loss
Despite appearances, bones are a constantly changing organ in the body. Cells that produce new bone (named osteoblasts) and cells that break down bone (named osteoclasts) work in harmony to ensure that old bone is continuously replaced,
The Manikin Challenge: manikin-based simulation in the psychiatry clerkship
Psychiatry is a nuanced specialty that relies on body language and subtle nonverbal cues from patients. As such, when using simulation to teach medical students, standardized patients are considered the gold standard. Standardized patients are actors who
Does UV-B radiation modify gene expression?
Frequently the harsh environmental conditions, such as, high temperatures, low freezing conditions, high levels of PAR and UV-B sun radiation induce remarkable adaptive reactions in plants. These responses suggest that plants may possess genes associated with defence
Ferrate technology: an innovative solution for sustainable sewer and wastewater management
Sewers might be out of sight, but they play a huge role in shaping the well-being of a society. They quietly carry away all the wastewater from our homes, businesses, and factories, preventing harmful viruses, bacteria, and
Sleep abnormalities in different clinical stages of psychosis
Sleep abnormalities are commonly observed in individuals with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. Research shows that over half of people with these conditions have trouble sleeping. Poor sleep also often contributes to the development and worsening of
A compact high yield isotope enrichment system
Highly enriched isotopes such as 10B, 98Mo, and 100Mo are in great demand for the manufacturing of radioactive isotopes for medical diagnostic imaging studies and therapeutic applications. In order to produce useful quantities of the medical radioisotopes,
Late second trimester miscarriages
A second trimester miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy between 12 and 22 weeks of pregnancy. This is indeed a very sad experience to the parents. It has been said that a miscarriage may cause
Making Christmas trees under duress, or how cells regulate the production of ribosomal RNA
Some of the most enduring images for a molecular biologist are electron microscopy micrographs of the so-called “Christmas trees”, famously first observed by Oscar Miller from newt oocytes in 1969. These intriguing structures (Fig. 1A) capture the
Rabbits with mammary carcinomas as a model for comparative pathology and translational science in breast cancer research
Within a breeding colony of rabbits, the American pathologist Harry Greene (1904-1969) observed that mammary carcinomas were restricted to certain families. This is suggestive of a familiar predisposition as it occurs in human breast cancer. In rabbits,
Could mometasone furoate be a viable glucocorticoid with fewer metabolic adverse effects?
Glucocorticoids are medications widely used to treat inflammation and allergies, and in contexts of immunosuppression such as after transplants. They are well-established and safe. The problem is that, when used for a long time, or in high
Galectin-9: A new target for beating atherosclerosis?
Atherosclerosis is a chronic medical condition characterised by the accumulation of fat in the walls of blood vessels, which obstruct the normal flow of oxygen-rich blood and can have severe health consequences. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is
Naturally occurring peptide may tackle the “root cause” of obesity-related diseases
Obesity typically occurs when a person eats more calories than they need for their daily activity. It results in a build-up of fatty tissue around all organs. In lean people, fat tissues work closely with hormones to
Linking copper, tyrosines and protein aggregation in Alzheimer’s disease
The prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia nowadays, is expected to increase within the coming years, representing a serious threat for society and the healthcare system. For this reason, a lot of
Improving assessment of arthritis models to better reflect human symptoms of disease
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a common inflammatory disease that is characterized by swelling and tenderness of multiple joints. The resulting pain and joint stiffness cause disability for patients and treatment to control the inflammation is required to
Systemic therapy in juvenile localized scleroderma
Juvenile localized scleroderma, also known as morphea, is an rare condition, it occurs around 1 in 5000 children, where the skin and the tissues underneath the skin like fat tissue, muscle, tendons, and bone, get inflamed and
Can we accurately diagnose different clinical variants of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy using IPMDS-PSP criteria?
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is the second most common degenerative parkinsonian syndrome after idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. PSP is a clinically heterogeneous disorder with several clinical variants. The two most common clinical variants are the Richardson (PSP-RS) and
Microbial community assembly and the microbiome revolution
Microbial communities (i.e. groups of potentially interacting microbial populations that co-exist in space and time) most commonly represent complex and highly diverse assortments of microbial populations, each possessing different genomic features that reflect on their specific life
Exploring gap junction networks required for zebrafish skin pattern formation
The study of pattern formation has advanced to a new phase involving channel molecules acting on bioelectric signals, with gap junctions being major relevant factors. Gap junctions are composed of connexin proteins: six connexins form hemichannels/connexons on
Social rank recognition is altered in autism spectrum disorder
Humans and many other animals spend their lives in social groups, along with constructing social hierarchy within the groups. Since social hierarchy is a principal determinant for allocation of limited resources for individuals in a group, assessments
Is that possible to prevent parasitic iatrogenic blood bank transmission?
Chagas disease (CD) is neglected tropical disease (NTD) that affects over 6 million people mainly in the poorest areas of Latin America. CD also represents a public health concern in non-endemic areas such as North America, Asia,
