Daily Archives: December 6, 2015
A simple way to measure health of the autonomic nervous system
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) unconsciously regulates the function of internal organs, including the heart. A poorly functioning ANS has been linked to a number of cardiovascular complications, including hypertension and stroke. Thus, simple tests of ANS
Development of amorphous magnesium-calcium phosphate as a bone substitute biomaterial
The research that we report here is related to amorphous magnesium-calcium phosphate (AMCP) materials. The word “amorphous” is of latin origin; “a” means no and “morphous” means shape. The amorphous materials do not have the well-behaved periodic
The role of the thalamic submedius nucleus histamine in modulation of formalin-induced orofacial pain
Pain is one of the most common and disturbing of human experiences. While it has many causes, the appreciation of painful sensation depends on the stimulation of pain receptors (nociceptors) and the conduction of the nerve impulses
Heated red blood cells shed vesicles to indicate distress
When a human or animal are exposed to elevated temperature, the body temperature rises. A small increase in the body temperature may result in health problems that include a headache, dizziness, or fainting. Red blood cells are
New test for assessing hospital water quality can lead to fewer patient infections
The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important pathogen that is often found in hospital water systems, from where it can lead to infections of patients, sometimes with severe consequences (e.g. blood infections, and infections in cystic fibrosis
Fainting – a hearty matter
Fainting and feeling like fainting (syncope and presyncope) is a very common symptom, which most people ignore. And in most of the cases, especially in sporadic occurrences with obvious reasons (tiredness, alcohol intake, orthostasis etc), that’s a
The binding of mGluR4 targeting drugs could help the finding novel treatments for PD
One of the key features of drugs is an ability to find the corresponding target molecule (eg. protein) from the body. The target protein has unique structural sites that could be loaded with specific chemicals (drugs). The
A study to enhance medical students’ professional decision-making
I am nervous about producing a layman’s summary of my study because it raises more questions than answers. However it illustrates three points: senior medical students in this study struggled to routinely assess benefits and harms of
The genesis of plant languages: How plants evolve new metabolic pathways from existing ones
There are an estimated 100 million species on this planet, with a stunning array of shapes, sizes, physiologies and behavior. One question that has excited evolutionary biologists since Darwin is – how does all of this biological
Overcoming aging-caused difficulties in salivary gland
Stem cells are the cells that are responsible for the maintenance of tissues and organs by replacing functional cells with a limited life-span or that are damaged beyond repair. Over the last decades stem cells have been
The combustion of food occurs at cytochrome c oxidase
Cytochrome c oxidase represents the enzyme where cell respiration takes place. The oxygen which we inhale is transported via the blood stream to all cells of the body where it is converted into water by a cold
Identification of a novel factor implicated in the resistance of cancer to the therapy
Therapeutic treatment of cancer involves radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy so to generate a large amount of lesions in the DNA. Because cancer cells have reduced capacity to repair DNA lesions and are unable to slow down proliferation, this
Have any changes occurred in type and severity of facial injuries taken by soldiers since 1980s?
With all the recent progress in the weapon industries and the changing face of modern warfare, there is a need for better protection, devices, and education for soldiers in military systems. Assessment of the distribution of war
Does your culture create your personality?
Personality is as much a part of human biology as a liver, yet it is understood and evaluated through society, culture, and emotions. Personality is an individual’s unique patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Unlike the liver,
Does immunotherapy in Multiple Sclerosis increase the risk of developing PML?
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare and life-threatening brain disease caused by the JC virus. In multiple sclerosis (MS), natalizumab (Tysabri, Biogen) was already known to substantially increase the risk for PML by suppressing the immune
