Monthly Archives: January 2016
Climate scepticism in Australia
Much has been written about ‘climate scepticism’, especially in the United States. Far less attention has been paid to Australia, despite the fact that climate change has emerged as a central issue for Australian politics and science.
Doc, I think I just bruised my elbow. Do I really need to wait for x-rays?
You’re late for work. You grab your bag and rush out the door. After catching the tip of your shoe on the step, you crash to the ground. Your right elbow — and your mug of coffee
Sir Richard Owen and the sanitary reform in Victorian Lancaster
The Royal Society of Biology recently unveiled ten blue plaques across the United Kingdom to commemorate the renowned and sometimes uncelebrated champions of biology. This included a ceremony in honour of Sir Richard Owen (1804-1892) on the
The origin and evolution of fertility-linked signals in bees
Bees, ants and wasps comprise a biological group named Hymenoptera. In the species of this group, various levels of social organization can be found – from solitary individuals to highly complex social societies. An important characteristic of
A new test of face discrimination
For most of us, a brief glimpse of a face is enough to judge someone’s age, gender, ethnic background and to know whether or not that face is familiar. That we are so good at discriminating between
How fat is a cell?
Cells have characteristic sizes in different tissues from big cells like muscle cells to small cells like platelets. How is the size of a cell programmed? The answer is we don’t know. But we do know something
Resting state fMRI analysis using sparse dictionary learning in SPM framework
Brain always be active even people are in rest. In the resting period, it has been observed that particular groups of brain region are always co-activated. These regions are functionally connected each other and each group is
A possible new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and stroke using nanoparticles
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and stroke are two neurological disorders that share the common feature of neuronal death. The peptide under investigation here is IRL-1620, which has been shown in previous studies to reverse neuronal death as well
Ultrasounds for heart infections can be reduced by following simple rules
Staphylococcus aureus bacteria often cause severe bloodstream infections, called Staph aureus bacteremia (SAB). Once Staph aureus enters the bloodstream it can spread to the heart and cause an infection of the heart valves called infective endocarditis (IE).
Specialised vesicle proteins which reduce the development of bacterial lung injury
Lung injury can occur from many stimuli including bacteria, asbestos and trauma. Injury occurs following breakdown of the barrier which lines blood vessels in the lungs. This breakdown forms gaps in lung vessels through which fluid and
What sex will it be? And why?
For millennia, pregnant women (and their partners) have wondered what sex the baby will be. Many parents wish for sons, especially as first-borns. Methods to achieve this have included tying off the left testicle, drinking lion’s blood,
Breeding dairy cattle for calving ease
Over the last fifty years breeding of dairy cattle in has led to very major increases in milk production, especially with respect to the Holstein strain, which is the main dairy breed in all western countries. However,
“Driving force”-dependent block in the inward rectifier K+ channel
Ion channels are protein pores allowing specific ions to pass through cell membrane to maintain resting membrane potential, or to generate various physiological electrical signals. The inward rectifier K+ channel (Kir channel) is noted for the strong
Flashbacks – the signature of trauma
Although it is well-known that traumatic events like sexual assaults or terrorist bombings can cause posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sufferers from this disorder often complain that no one really understands what they are going through. This is
Kidney angiotensinogen as a cardinal risk factor in hypertension
High blood pressure is prevalent in over 30% of the adult population and accounts for approximately one fourth of patients with heart failure, especially the elderly. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is of critical importance in the regulation
A simple method for the Study of Acid Sensing Ion Channels (ASICs) by fluorescence
The presence of severe acidosis has been demonstrated to be associated to several pathological conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, brain trauma, spinal cord injury and epilepsy as well as in inflammatory pain, to cite the most relevant.
Is HDL cholesterol always good for you? Surprises, overturns and promises
According to the World Health Organization, coronary heart disease is a major cause of death worldwide. In 2008, 17.3 million people died from heart disease, and this number is expected to rise further, reaching an estimated of
Loneliness matters for people with psychotic disorders
When you ask people with a psychotic disorder, like schizophrenia, what challenges them most in daily life they are likely to say – ‘loneliness’. As nearly everyone can attest, loneliness is painful. It’s the distressing feeling that
The future of clinical research: developing new drugs faster using electronic health records
Innovative medicines can prevent, cure, slow or alter the evolution of diseases, and bring real value to patients. Despite increased investments in research and development, fewer medicines are being brought to market due to the increasing complexity
Dispersion of particle emissions from quarries in complex terrain
Quarrying and surface mining operations are area sources of dust (suspended particles) that may cause considerable air pollution. Such sources, by their nature, are characterized by lack of detailed information about the location of the mobile mining
