Monthly Archives: February 2016
With a little help from friends: how plastids aid the ER to deal with misfolded proteins
Almost a third of all proteins in eukaryotic cells are synthesized and folded in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) before being secreted and redistributed to other organelles, such as the Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, and the plasma membrane. To
Heart disease in cancer patients (onco-cardiology / cardio-oncology)
In the United States, heart disease and cancer have been the 2 leading causes of death from 1935 through 2013. In 2010, both diseases accounted for almost half of all deaths in the U.S. Notwithstanding, much success
Plasmid-mediated carbapenem and colistin resistance in E. coli – toward a dead end
The increasing trend in antibiotic resistance continues to threaten global health. Presently, multidrug resistance (MDR) in gram-negative rods is frequently observed not only with the occurrence of extended-spectrum ß – lactamase but also with producers of enzymes
Sensory deprivation early in life has lasting impacts
What happens to a brain area when it is underutilized when a person or animal is growing up? Does this kind of deprivation of experiences lead to negative effects for brain development? For a long time, the
Parkinson disease and duodenal levodopa infusion: why patients withdraw the treatment?
Parkinson disease is a chronic and progressive movement disorder associated to degeneration of neurons in the brain, particularly in a region called substantia nigra. These neurons produce dopamine, a neural transmitter that is involved in the control
Does traffic noise increase the risk of obesity?
There is an association between road traffic noise and the risk of obesity among people who are particularly sensitive to noise, according to a study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Previously, a Swedish study reported
Identification of drusen characteristics in age-related macular degeneration
In this study, we investigated the morphologic characteristics of drusen in order to determine their composition, using an in-vivo technique, the optical coherence tomography (OCT). The development of drusen is an important characteristic of age-related macular degeneration
Making drug discovery more efficient: predicting drug side effects in early screening efforts
Drug research and development is a complex and expensive process that begins with initial screening steps of candidate chemical compounds. Compounds that appear to have the desired potency against a specific cellular target or pathway are further
An algal infection (protothecosis) in a cat
This case report describes a cat with inflammation caused by an infection with a particular type of algae named Prototheca. The evoked clinical disease is called protothecosis. Prototheca species and their occurrence in the environment. Prototheca species
In silico prediction of ebolavirus RNA polymerase inhibition
A virus at work: Let us assume that you are a virus that just infected a cell (the HOST CELL) of an individual (the PATIENT). What is your vicious objective? You want to make copies of yourself
Treatment of toenail fungus with tavaborole topical antifungal solution
Fungal infection of the nails affects up to 14% of North Americans, particularly older people and those with cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Toenails are affected more often than fingernails, with symptoms that include separation of the nail
The origin of the HIV-1 epidemic
The epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), the causative agent of AIDS, is one of the world’s major public health problems, with around 37 million people currently infected with this virus. The HIV-1 epidemic originated
Implicit learning of a speed-contingent target feature
When opening a door, the force with which it is pushed – or pulled – determines how fast it swings. Often it is supposed that the stimulus following such an action can be consciously foreseen. But let’s
Early family regularity protects against later disruptive behavior
Children’s temperamental anger or frustration reactions, defined as negative affect in reaction to interruption of ongoing tasks or blocking the child’s goal, are already observable in the first 2 to 3 months of life, and may decline
Evidence-based guidelines for better health: can their role be sustained?
This project matters because it recognizes a threat to the continued production or modifications (adaptation) of guidelines, which promote best health care practices; and, it offers a framework for solving this threat. Over-emphasis of unnecessarily stringent standards
Zinc supplementation and allergy
Zinc is an essential trace element and an important factor of approximately 300 human enzymes. It plays an important role in cellular growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. The immune system with its fast growing rates is especially dependent
Can pharmacogenetics testing help reduce psychiatric suffering?
Pharmacogenetics testing is relatively new to the field of psychiatry having been introduced only within recent years and at an affordable cost in the clinical setting. The case history illustrated in this report describes how pharmacogenetics testing
GPS? Not only to navigate! Territory monitoring using GPS signals reflected from the soil
The monitoring of the territory is important for many applications, including natural hazards monitoring (floods, fires, land and snow slides), traffic and pollution control, agricultural applications and in general to highlight any critical situations. It can be
Hair analysis as a novel method for the non-destructive and non-invasive monitoring of metal exposure in bats
As a result of human activities, many wild organisms are exposed to increased concentrations of metals in their environment. Urbanized areas are typically more polluted than remote areas due to enhanced emissions of metals mainly by traffic
How can living systems understand external reality to survive better?
Do data given to a subject contain information about something existing outside the subject, or are they mere mental states of the subject? This is a long-standing philosophical problem about the reality of percepts, asking whether sense
