Yearly Archives: 2015
Could cancer be cured by inducing an autoimmune disease against It?
Might there be some way to make a microbial protein that the immune system normally overlooks (a “non-antigen”) into a target for an active immune response (an “antigen”)? Could one co-opt the immune system to produce an
Framing fracking: What could be done to improve the fracking debate?
Fracking is the process by which natural gas is extracted from otherwise impermeable shale rocks by the creation of fractures that allow gas to flow out of the rock. The use of fracking has expanded rapidly in
Survivals in pediatric cardiac tamponade caused by central venous catheters
Pediatric central venous catheter (CVC) placement is used for fluid or drug administration and is useful for hemodynamic (the fluid dynamics of flow) management in cardiac surgery but associated with complications such as rare but serious cardiac
Mitochondrial POLG2 disease mutations impair cellular energy supply
Mitochondrial diseases are devastating disorders for which there is no cure and no proven treatment. About 1 in 2000 individuals are at risk of developing a mitochondrial disease sometime during the course of their life. Half of
What is necessary to be prion-like domain?
Prions are infectious proteins that can assume various conformations, including amyloid fibrils that can serve as a matrix and “infect” other proteins both within and between the cells and between organisms. However, it was observed that yeast
Waltheria indica constituents to tackle Chagas disease
American trypanosomiasis, also known as Chagas disease, is one of the most serious protozoan diseases which occurs throughout Latin America. Its etiological agent is Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellate protozoa, which is transmitted to humans and other mammals
Renal risk associated with sodium phosphate medication
Sodium phosphate drugs (solutions, tablets or enemas) are used since 1990s as laxatives for bowel cleansing before endoscopy and radiology examination, or occasionally for treatment of severe constipation. Sodium phosphate drugs are low-volume osmotic purgatives, their administration
Innovative solid biofuel production from grape marc through hydrothermal carbonization
Geological ages and appropriate conditions are necessary to transform biomass into coal: with the hydrothermal carbonization, the same result is obtained in a few hours! Hydrothermal carbonization ( HTC ) is a thermochemical process through which it
Surgery for pancreatic head cancer
Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) offers the only chance of long-term survival for patients with pancreatic head cancer. The procedure involves removing the pancreatic head together with the duodenum, gallbladder and most of the common extra hepatic bile duct (Fig.
ER stress: a new molecular target to treat hyperglycemia-induced vascular damage
Endothelium is a thin layer of cells, which covers the inner surface of blood vessels and has a key role in the maintenance of vascular and metabolic homeostasis. Its functions include regulation of vascular tone, inhibition of
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs attenuate lung carcinogenesis in smoking female mice
Chronic inflammation plays a crucial role in the development of cancer in general and of cigarette smoke (CS) – related lung cancer in particular. Accordingly, anti-inflammatory drugs, among which the extensively used nonsteroidal anti – inflammatory drugs
Tailored-pore materials on polymeric membranes for gas separation
Separation operations in the chemical processes are the most energy and money consuming for the large industries and, therefore, one of the most important challenges for the chemical engineers to overcome now and in the next decades
Searching for magnetic sense inside living cells
Some molecules can absorb light and become excited. These excited molecules are often capable of undergoing chemical reactions that unexcited molecules cannot. Nature makes extensive use of these “photochemical reactions” and uses them to achieve some of
Hybrid moving bed biofilm reactor-membrane bioreactor system for micropollutant removal
In recent years, the frequent detection of micropollutants in the aquatic environment has raised growing concerns due to their detrimental effects on aquatic organisms and human health. Micropollutants, also termed emerging contaminants, consist of a wide variety
A novel hepatitis C DNA vaccine
Since their development, vaccines have reduced the global burden of disease. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes persistent infection and is a leading cause of liver disease. To date, no vaccine is currently available, and treatment is costly
The passion of electrons for naked “green gold” in water to develop new nanotechnology applications
Electrons are negatively charged particles that are critical to the chemical reactions. Chemical reactions in living organisms, including humans, involve the movement and transfer of electrons. Indeed, the source of energy for life involves the transportation of
Why do we need to educate the public before asking for their opinion?
Public attitudes and opinions have always been important in health research. For example, many research studies use a community-based approach to inform the outcomes and design, while other studies include a member of the public as a
A rare variant in TREM2 increases risk for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease
Late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) is the most common form of dementia and affects over 5 million Americans. This neurodegenerative disease results from a combination of genetic and environmental effects and currently has no effective cures, treatments, or
Co-benefit control and its enhancement can cost-effectively mitigate mercury emission from coal-fired power plants in China
Atmospheric mercury pollution has been a global concern owing to its neurotoxicity, persistence, long-range transportability and bioaccumulation in ecosystems, especially since Minamata Convention on Mercury was adopted internationally in 2013 to jointly control mercury emissions and releases.
Oral microorganisms: how do they communicate?
Many oral diseases are related to the interaction between microorganisms in the oral cavity. These microbial interactions are necessarily associated with the development of dental plaque and can lead to oral diseases including dental caries and perhaps
