Monthly Archives: March 2016
Research from animal learning studies may help the elderly to follow medical recommendations
Adherence to treatment is how clinicians refer to the degree to which patients follow medical recommendations, and it is fundamental to improving health and quality of life. Lack of adherence to treatment may have dramatic consequences not
Belching: How does it work?
The belch seems like a simple rapid act with no clinical significance, but many studies suggest otherwise. Although most of the belch response occurs over a period of less than two seconds, the belch is actually composed
What are new traits of Si-rhodamine self-assembly in the excited state?
‘In unity there is strength!’ This is also true in the molecular world. Nowadays, “self-assembly”, composed of a large number of one or multiple kinds of small molecules, has attracted considerable attention. That is because special traits
Salt marsh restoration reduces mercury methylation
In this paper we describe analysis of mercury in sediment cores collected from an area of land behind a dyke one year before, and one year after, it was intentionally breached as part of a managed retreat
Look after your compost—it’s more than garden fertiliser
Biologists look upon a pile of compost first of all as an extraordinary habitat of a wide range of different organisms: a microcosm of its own within the garden landscape. Gardeners in Europe are proud of “their”
Hormetic use of stress in gerontological interventions requires a cautious approach
Hormesis is a biphasic dose-response pattern in which the response at low doses is opposite to that at higher doses. According to the hormesis concept, a small dose of a potentially harmful agent can exert a beneficial
How plant virus hides from the host cellular degradation machinery
The main goal of obligatory viral parasites is to create the perfect environment for its multiplication. Therefore, the first step is to avoid degradation by the host cellular degradation. Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is not
Melatonin and serotonin in psychiatric and brain disorders
Melatonin is well known as a treatment for jet lag, being naturally released by the brain when we close our eyes to go to sleep. However, recent research shows that melatonin is released by many, if not
Postgraduate studies (1978-1985) at the Medical School, University of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Medical School (Medicinski fakultet) in Tuzla, founded in 1976, initiated post-graduate studies program in 1978. The aim was to train future medical faculty for scientific research in pre-clinical and clinical disciplines. Most participants were physicians who
Rare disease day; 500 years ago
A rare disease is a life-threatening or chronically debilitating condition with a very low prevalence. Several institutions such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medical Agency (EMA) and Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) have put in place
Towards a nuclear weapons free world
The dream of a world without nuclear weapons has come a little closer to reality over the past three years, thanks to a renewed focus on the catastrophic humanitarian impacts of these worst of all weapons. Beginning
Another prince awakened Sleeping Beauty?
Tumor suppressor genes are one of the body’s defenses against uncontrolled growth of tumor cells. When these genes are ‘silenced,’ or prevented from doing their work, the abnormal cells grow unchecked, usually with fatal consequences to the
How cells crawl… that’s right, crawl
Within our bodies, every cell must crawl – some only a few millionths of an inch, while others, like nerve fibers, must make their way from the spinal cord to the tips of our toes. The ability
Recovery after brachial plexus surgery continues for longer than previously thought
Brachial plexus injuries (BPIs) are severely debilitating injuries in which the nerves exiting the spinal cord at the level of the cervical and upper thoracic spine are damaged. Because these nerves power the musculature of the upper
Protecting titanium implants from infection
Certain microorganisms are capable of growing in layers, forming biofilms on medical surfaces, like implants, heart valves, etc… Biofilm-associated infections on implants are responsible for 15-25 % of implant failures as biofilms are resistant to most of the
Eco-friendly and cost-efficient large-scale energy storage using seawater
Due to the steadily increasing worldwide demand for energy and the limited resources of fossil fuels such as crude oil, coal, and natural gas, renewable and green energy sources are gathering increasing attention by scientific researchers and
Chronic radiation proctitis: prevention better than cure?
Radiation therapy (RT) is common used in treatments for pelvic malignancies (prostate, urinary bladder, cervix, uterus, and anus). A feared complication of RT is called Chronic radiation proctitis (CRP). This is a relatively frequent late (3-6 months
Girls should know whether they experienced a first menstruation after birth
Within a few days of birth in approximately 5% of neonates a vaginal bleeding appears lasting 1-3 days. This Neonatal Menstrual-like Bleeding is described in the lay literature as an unusual, but physiological direct consequence of the
Curcumin, from Indian spice to a molecular model in drug discovery?
Nature has provided a large variety of molecules, with different degrees of complexity and therapeutic applications. Curcumin (Fig. 1) is an example of such molecules. Curcumin is a natural compound isolated from the rhizomes of the plant
