Daily Archives: January 4, 2016
Adapting sperm RNA as a fertility diagnostic for the male
Infertility is a global public health issue affecting about 13 percent of couples of reproductive age. After one year of unprotected intercourse, couples having difficulties to conceive often seek reproductive care. Known causes of infertility are typically
Helicase and ribosome share a common mechanism of nucleic acid unwinding
In the cell DNA is present in the duplex form and many messenger RNAs (mRNAs) can form duplex structures. To access the genetic information (represented by nucleotides or codons) on the single-stranded (ss) nucleic acids (NA) by
Balanced prediction of protein secondary structure
Proteins by its three-dimensional (3D) structure play significant roles in the biological processes within the cell. Thus, it is important to understand the 3D structures of a protein. However, accurate prediction of the 3D structure of a
Imaging of viruses with the help of surface plasmons
For a long time biosensors based on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomenon were not considered as effective tools to detect and visualize the binding of individual nano-scale objects to the functionalized sensor surface. However, innovative studies
Environmental contaminants as needles in a haystack
Detection of environmentally significant contaminants in very complex mixtures is a challenging problem for analytical chemists. A common approach uses gas chromatography (GC) to separate the mixture components in combination with mass spectrometry (MS) to identify the
What stem cells have to do with stomach cancer
The surface of the stomach is lined by a delicate single-layered sheet of epithelial cells (termed the gastric mucosa and its glands), which represents a tight barrier to the outside world (i.e., the gastric juice and its
A functional immune system against cancer in breast cancer patients
One of the hallmarks of cancer development is the ability of tumor cells to evade the recognition by the host immune system. However, the presence of immune responses against cancer is frequently observed in cancer patients. The
How selenium is incorporated into proteins: structural view of selenocysteine ‘recoding’
Selenium is an essential micronutrient for human health. It is present in proteins as a special amino acid, selenocysteine, which is the so-called 21st amino acid. Selenocysteine resembles serine and cysteine, where the selenium atom (Se) replaces
Cooperative effects and co-crystallization in supramolecular diarylethene self-assembled monolayers
The current “top down” strategy that aims to miniaturize silicon based electronic components will eventually reach a limit. A new approach is necessary in order to develop more powerful, less expensive and more flexible electronic devices. Molecular
Problematic computer use in adolescence
Problematic computer use is the use of computer technology that may be health-endangering and may cause immediate or later negative physical or psychological health outcomes or disturb well-being in users. It covers plenty of areas, for example,
