Monthly Archives: December 2015
Fear of anxiety and the brain response to threatening stimuli in panic disorder
Panic attacks are periods of very sudden intense fear, accompanied by bodily or cognitive symptoms (such as heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, or feelings of unreality) that can last from 10 minutes to hours and are
Stern alcohol policies fail to improve public health
New research found that the severity of alcohol policy had no association with the number of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost due to alcohol in 30 OECD countries in 2005 nor with alcohol consumption (Table, Figure). DALYs
Studying the interactions that trap cells in circulation
Healthy blood stem cells and invasive tumor cells use similar mechanisms to exit the circulatory system and penetrate other tissues. Cell migration is a multi-step process in which a number of adhesion molecules find their partners and
The nostalgic brain gives you the power to live
We are all familiar with feelings of nostalgia that we all experience often. Nostalgia reminds us of better times and helps us feel less lonely when we are facing adversities. It also helps us identify positive aspects
Maternal diet alters offspring metabolism and performance
Scientists at The University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas have discovered that in fish, just like in humans, the nutrients that are passed from a mother to her offspring can change the way her
Mummification of cells: how dry is dry?
Human cells, the fundamental building blocks of tissues and organs, are often used to replace damaged body parts as well as for the production of certain medicines. However, the long term storage and transport of these cells
Obesity protects inflamed dialysis patients
A high body mass index (BMI) is linked to longer survival terms for several serious chronic debilitating diseases. A large European epidemiological study shows that this protective effect does not apply to all patients with a high
Is New Zealand blackcurrant a new ergogenic aid in sport?
The daily consumption of fruit and vegetables in appropriate amounts will provide health benefits. Fruit and vegetables are multi-ingredient foods with the anthocyanin content potentially linked to the health benefits due to its known anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant
Fostering empathy after community violence to promote coping
This study explores the role of empathy for victims and offenders after a violent event, such as a school shooting. Empathy is the ability to experience or comprehend the emotions of another person. In this study, over
Elastic properties of the annular ligament of the human stapes
Stapes – the smallest bone in the human body. It is located in the middle-ear. It constantly vibrates transferring sound from the external word to the hearing organ. The vibrations are possible thanks to the extremely compliant
Exploiting an ‘Achilles heel’ of DNA replication to arrest viral proliferation
In order to proliferate all organisms need to replicate their genomes. In most, this is achieved by a process named DNA replication by which a parental DNA gives rise to two faithful copies of itself. For this
New technology to make your electronic devices thinner and lighter
For photographers, the heavy and bulky photographic equipment to get high quality pictures may bother them a lot, especially when they want to go to open country. For doctors who need to go to an emergency situation
Inhibitors of gastric acid secretion and gastric cancer
The highly acidic gastric juice is an efficient killer of swallowed microorganisms. This is an important function which is reflected in the tight regulation of gastric acidity involving both nerves and hormones (blood born messengers). The most
Air pollution forecasting is required for citizens’ protection in urban environments
Air pollution is one of the most harmful factors posing threat to human health, worldwide. Of particular concern in urban environments are particulate matter (PM), especially fine (PM2.5) and ultrafine (PM1) fractions, ground-level ozone (O3), and nitrogen
Epileptic rats as perfect models to understand epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological disease that affects about 1% of the population in the world, most of them being children and teenagers. Animals suffering from epileptic seizures can also be found in several species (dogs, cats, chicken,
The use of co-crystal technology for stabilizing energetic materials
The use of co-crystallizations is emerging as a new avenue for modifying the solid-state properties of a wide range of high-value chemicals, such as agrochemicals, pharmaceutics, dyes, and nutraceuticals, in such a way that certain physical properties
Posterior cervical fusion may lessen spinal cord compression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis may develop inflammation of the joints in the spine, just as they develop inflammation of joints in their hands, feet, and others. The joint between the first cervical vertebra (C1) and the second
A new role for vitamin D3
Mutations in the genome of body cells (somatic cells) can lead to excess activation of signaling pathways and thus to unlimited cellular proliferation and cancer formation. One such cancer-inducing pathway is the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling cascade, which
Nucleus-targeted anticancer drug delivery
Tumor cell nucleus-targeted delivery of antitumor agents is of great interest in cancer therapy, since the nucleus is one of the most frequent targets of drug action. However, efficient nuclear drug delivery upon systemic administration remains a
New kojic acid-amino acid hybrids as potential tyrosinase inhibitors
Melanogenesis is a process by which melanocytes produce melanin initiated by tyrosinase upon exposure of the skin to UV radiation. Tyrosinase plays an important role in the pathway of melanin biosynthesis from tyrosine. It catalyzes two distinct
