Yearly Archives: 2015
Bio-coordination of bismuth in Helicobacter pylori tells the inhibitory mechanisms of metallodrugs
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), the dominant bacterial pathogen in human stomach, is the leading risk factor for the development of gastric cancer and is now infecting over half of the worlds’ population. Bismuth compounds have been used
Vaccines and autoimmunity
The human immune system (and of other animals as well), have been developed historically to prevent infections by invading microorganisms, bacteria, viruses etc. This system is not supposed to react against the components of the body itself.
Regulation of mediator’s expression and chemotaxis in mast cells
The increasing prevalence of inflammatory diseases worldwide underlines the importance to study the molecular mechanisms leading to these disorders. Recent genome-wide association studies based on large group of patients and healthy controls revealed candidate genes, which are
Minute exocrine glands in the compound eyes of water strider
Epidermis of insects are covered with sensilla (sensory receptors) and exocrine glands, which are responsible for sensing and interacting with the external environment. Exocrine glands secret chemicals, such as pheromones, lubricant and noxious substances, to the outside
Save your pancreas from diabetes! Your beta cell reserve is critical for prevention and treatment of diabetes.
To date the number of people with diabetes is estimated to be 387 million over the world. This number is continuing to increase and predicted to be 592 million in 2035. Despite the recent advance in the
Holding on to the electrons in artificial photosynthesis
For our future sustainable society mankind will have to make efficient use of solar energy. The conversion of sunlight to electricity is already a powerful technology, but for storage and transport we need liquid fuels, which have
Have you ever think how wastewaters are transformed into clean waters?
Sewage treatment is the process that converts wastewaters (water no longer suitable for other purposes) into a clean effluent that can be reused. The treatment process consists into removing impurities (such as organic matter, pathogens, heavy metals
Gene therapy not just counseling for your denim obsession
Imagine a world where one size does not fit all, wait that’s the world we live in now. So why is the treatment you get under the “one size fits all” umbrella, we are all different, right?
A novel treatment for saphenous venous graft thrombosis
Coronary artery disease refers to narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. Lack of blood supply to the heart can result in a myocardial infarction, commonly referred to as a heart attack. One way
The role of light and hormones in seed germination under environmental stress
Environmental factors such as light, temperature, water and gravity have major effects on plant development. In addition, hormones within the plant bring about developmental changes during the plant life cycle. Extensive crosstalk exists between environmental and hormone
Hope and concern
The ancient way of curing disease was the administration of natural products to the patient. The next step in drug discovery resulted from advances in chemistry. After isolation of natural active ingredients, synthesis in the laboratory of
Why does the size of an object look the same despite changes in viewing distance?
Among the things we experience in daily life, nothing appears to be simpler than perceiving the sizes of visual objects. “A large object occupies a large surface area on the retina and looks large. That’s it.”. However,
Infections in wild primates
Some of the most common parasitic infections in wildlife are caused by intestinal worms. Unlike bacterial or viral infections, however, worm infections rarely lead to death, and may not even cause overt clinical symptoms. In this research,
Good long-term employment outcomes after epilepsy surgery in Sweden
Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurologic disorders and affects all domains of life. About one third of people with epilepsy still have seizures despite antiepileptic drug treatment. Drug resistant epilepsy strongly impairs quality of
Serum potassium decline associated with increased mortality in acute heart failure
Acute heart failure (HF) is the most important reason for hospitalization in the United States and Europe. It is associated with high morbidity and mortality, most conspicuously in the first months after discharge. As HF progresses, and
Sanitation and disease: it’s time to cut the crap!
Even if we don’t talk about it, most of us will experience diarrhea in our lifetime, suffering little more than temporary discomfort and embarrassment. Except for the approximately 1.5 million people — over 350,000 of whom are
The fossil viruses from within that shape evolution
Our genome contains a colossal amount of virus-related sequences. Over 4 million fragments of our DNA derive from mobile genetic elements, some of which once were viruses that infected the germ line (egg or sperm cells) of
People and companies who do harm are dehumanized, not typecasted
It is clear that people who do harm are disliked and often find themselves the targets of severe condemnation. They may be shunned, actively avoided, or at times even harshly punished. Remember the outrage directed at Bernie
Mitochondrial activity is different in different sub-regions of the human amniotic membrane
What is the first image a human being probably sees? Provided a fetus could see, it would see the inner lining of the uterus, the so called amniotic membrane. The amniotic membrane consists of two layers, the
Interaction of boron nitride nanotubes with living cells
Over the past decade, nanomaterials gained significant interest in medical and biomedical research due to their unique properties such as optical, magnetic, electronic and mechanical. These unusual properties make them particularly attractive for their investigation in biomedical
