Monthly Archives: March 2016
Global electronic properties dominate the reactivity of silver clusters with up to nano sizes
A metal block is composed of extremely large amount of metal atoms, while metal clusters consist of only two to about one hundred atoms. They stand for the transition between individual atoms and the smallest particles which
Water oxidation by a biomolecule (amavadin) without light contribution
Amavadin is a metallobiomolecule without amino acids that occurs with a significant concentration in a few closely related Amanita fungi, such as A. muscaria. It is a [V(S,S-HIDPA)2]2- complex anion (see Figure 1, assigned with A) with
Emergency department presentation predicts poor outcomes after meningioma removal
A meningioma is one of the most common forms of a brain tumor. Unlike many other types of brain tumors, meningiomas are typically associated with relatively favorable outcomes even when they require surgical treatment. In the past
The psychopath’s unusual focus on reward
The word “psychopath” conjures up the image of the deranged serial killer. The reality is very different. Psychopathy, especially the primary variant, is a genetically determined disorder that leads to a serious lack of emotional experience, which,
The impact of climate conditions on Cutaneous Leishmaniasis incidence
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a vector-borne disease transmitted by the bite of an infected adult female sandfly. The female sandfly acquires Leishmania parasites in the blood meal intake on an infected mammalian host in order to obtain
Good morning… let the stress begin. What is stress and how do we study it?
The American Psychological Association estimates that more than 70% of Americans regularly experience the physiological or psychological symptoms associated with chronic stress, with a third of the population thought to be living with extreme levels of stress.
How hepcidin, the main hormone regulating iron in the body, is itself regulated in β-thalassemia
To understand how things work normally, scientists often explore diseases and through understanding how things go awry, piece together the normal orchestra of normal bodily functions. In that way, scientists at New York Blood Center recently gained
Type of breast cancer provides clues to genetic susceptibility
Breast cancer is a common disease affecting 1 in 11 women in the UK but like many common cancers incidence increases with increasing age. Only 1 in 1,700 women younger than 30 and 1 in 228 women
New systems capable of stimuli-controlled release of drugs
The search for new medical strategies with high therapeutic efficiencies and reduced adverse side-effects remains a challenge for the scientific community. The development of new drug delivery systems (DDS) to generate new solid forms of active pharmaceutical
Rapid and extremely reliable detection extended-spectrum ß-lactamases-producing Enterobacteriaceae
Resistance to antibiotics is becoming a worldwide issue mostly related to resistance observed in gram negative bacterial species such as in Enterobacteriaceae (Escherichia coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae) that are the most important source of hospital – and
Arsonists and violent offenders compared: two peas in a pod?
Since arson is an expensive offense for society – with an average cost of 12,796 dollar per arson – it is important to address in offender treatment in order to reduce recidivism. Actual pyromania (repeated arson for
Perfluorinated compounds in the atmosphere of Shenzhen, China
High volume air samples taken to 13 sampling sites that were chosen in 6 districts of Shenzhen, China from September to November, 2011 were analyzed for 11 perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). A set of ionic nonvolatile PFCs including
Osteoporosis in childhood
It is well known that bones tend to become brittle with ageing. Less well-known is that children also suffer from fractures resulting from little or no force to provoke the injury. The cause in some children is
Ultrasensitive detection and glycan analysis of a prostate cancer biomarker
In recent years we have seen an increased frequency of diagnosed prostate cancer (PCa) cases accompanied with an enhanced mortality worldwide. Symptoms of an early-stage PCa can be mild or even absent, thus there is an urgent
Advantageous adventitious roots – ecology, economy, and our existence
Plants rely on roots for their supply of nutrients and water but not all roots are the same. Typically when asked to picture a plant root system we might think of the tap root with ‘lateral’ roots
Cooking food safely on an industrial scale
Well-known companies such as Walker’s crisps produce huge amounts of processed foods on a daily basis. These are sold in uniform plastic packs and the crisps have the same thickness, flavour and crunchy texture. This is usually
BC007, first steps of this new drug on the way for future treatment of patients with cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a disease of the heart in which the heart chambers stretch and thin (dilate). Under this condition, the heart and cannot pump enough blood needed by the other organs need. DCM presents as
Anthelmintic resistance or what left after the incorrect treatment?
Small ruminant gastrointestinal parasites represent very important and common problem in the world (Fig. 1). Infections with gastrointestinal nematodes can have a detrimental effect on animal health such as weight losses, diarrhea, anemia, digestion problems and even
New material for vertebral fractures repair
Vertebroplasty, the injection of bone cement into fractured vertebra in order to restore its original height and shape, is the most popular and effective treatment of vertebral compression fractures. However, the long term success of this kind
Colorectal anastomotic leakage: an ongoing mystery
Whenever people are diagnosed with an intestinal disease such as Crohn, Colitis or colorectal cancer, they might need to undergo surgery to remove the affected part of the intestine. During such surgery, the remaining parts of the
