Yearly Archives: 2015
A disease of younger women
Cramp or pain during menstruation is very common, but telling a young woman that this is ‘normal’ without full assessment can be wrong as this can lead to many years of unnecessary suffering. There are many conditions
Antimicrobial resistance – what’s needed but how to get the resources to the innovators?
Antibiotic resistance is at a crisis point, nay a “tipping point”. There are several major programs which offer what sound like large sums of money to make new antibiotics, but to get these monies takes a lot
What is really driving our need for food, besides the pleasure of taste?
We all know that this need is related, in some way, with life sustainability, but just how, exactly? The task of converting food into energy –and back again into organic compounds– is carried out by our metabolism,
Hybridisation masks speciation in marine iguanas
The Galápagos archipelago is an isolated group of islands which serve as a natural laboratory for the study of evolution. The islands are home to the marine iguana – a highly specialised sea-going lizard which is found
The role of the Amazonian forest in removing atmospheric mercury
Mercury (Hg) is a naturally-occurring chemical element found in rock in the earth’s crust, including in deposits of coal and oil. Nevertheless, it is considered by the Word Health Organization as one of the top ten chemicals of
Effects of dietary peppermint on fry Caspian white fish
Traditional medicines usually involve the use of plant extracts. Among these plants, mint species have been exploited by man since more than two thousand years. Mentha piperita (also known as peppermint) is one of the world’s oldest
Palpable melanoma groin lymph node metastases
Melanoma is the most lethal type of skin cancer. In 2012 232,130 persons were diagnosed worldwide, and 55,488 estimated deaths occurred due to melanoma. Patients who present with a palpable lymph node metastasis in the groin area
High blood pressure is controlled more effectively by two drugs in one pill
Hypertension, or high blood pressure (BP), is a major global public health problem, both because of how common it is and its correlation with cardiovascular disease. It has been identified as one of the major risk factors
Are mindfulness apps good enough?
My mind tricks me. I either ruminate about the things I always wanted to do but never did or worry about something that’s yet to happen. I’m lost in meaningless thoughts, empowering them, ignoring the present moment.
New and future strategies for asthma control in children
Asthma continues to be a predominant health concern in children despite advances in medical care. Children are being diagnosed with asthma at earlier ages, and the adverse effects of early-onset, poorly controlled asthma can last throughout childhood
Can we stop dentist drilling too much on our caries tooth?
Dental caries is one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide. It is a result of hard tissue demineralization largely caused by acid produced by bacteria on the tooth surfaces as a by-product of metabolism of fermentable carbohydrate.
MicroRNAs and physical activity
Physical activity has a recognised role in the prevention of non-communicable diseases, cancer included. To maintain a satisfying health level, the World Health Organization (WHO) has assumed that everyone have to practice at least 150 minutes of
Measuring what cells feel using the nano-epsilon dot method
When we walk on the sand, a trampoline or a concrete pavement, we can feel the hardness, softness and springiness of the ground and respond by changing the way we move. The way we respond depends on
Antibacterial Titanium dioxide embedded in polymers
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) antibacterial surfaces are growing continuously in the health care areas. This is an important application since infectious biofilms are the main source of human infections in hospitals, schools and public places. When bacteria contacts
Childhood psychosocial adversity and adult neighborhood disadvantage as predictors of cardiovascular disease
Childhood adverse psychosocial factors, such as parental divorce and long – term financial difficulties, have been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This is also the case for neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage in adulthood. However, the combined
Can germs cause premenstrual syndrome?
Each month a woman’s body prepares itself for pregnancy. Monthly hormonal cycles alter immunological defenses to allow survival of sperm cells, the fertilized egg, and the developing embryo. At the onset of each cycle immune defenses are
A hereditary mutation in Schwartz-Jampel syndrome
Schwartz-Jampel syndrome (SJS) type 1, also known as chondrodystrophic myotonia, is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by short stature, neuromyotonia (sustained contraction of skeletal muscles), chondrodysplasia (abnormal development of the cartilage of long bones), joint contractures,
The safety and toxicology of cannabinoids
Marijuana or cannabis, colloquially referred to as weed, pot, grass, herb, bud, ganja, etc., is the most commonly used illicit drug both nationally and internationally. Roughly 180.6 million people worldwide report lifetime cannabis use and 24.6 million
How to optimize the effectiveness of anticancer therapy
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer. HCC is a public health problem worldwide because of its high incidence and its poor prognosis with high cancer-related mortality. In the majority of cases, patients
Influence of light emitting diodes (LED) bulbs on broilers grown to heavy weights
Light management influences growth, reproduction and behavior. Lighting programs slow the early growth rate of broilers allowing them to achieve physiological maturity prior to maximal rate of muscle mass accretion. Selected blood variables including blood gases are
