Monthly Archives: April 2016
Genetic differences in elite rugby players and the general population
We have known for many years that genetic variation is important in understanding any physiological trait and contributes substantially to the way people develop. Height for example is estimated as being ~80% determined by genetic variation with
Chemical priming: a way to increase plant protection against stress conditions in the field?
Abiotic stresses such as salinity, drought, flooding, heat, cold, freezing, excess light, UV radiation and heavy metal toxicity have a significant impact on plant growth and crop yield worldwide. Climate change continues to exacerbate the detrimental effects
Essential biological pathways modulate many different aspects of cell biology
High throughput screening is the most common way to discover novel drugs as well as new ways in which drugs could act. Screening chemicals for drug discovery has identified a group of molecules which are able to
Help for breastfeeding mothers and babies with shared care
The World Health Organisation and the UK Department of Health advise all mothers to totally breastfeed for the first six months of a baby’s life and to continue to breastfeed along with other foods until the child
Channels in artificial membranes
Proteins come in a variety of shapes and sizes but two major classes exist: soluble proteins and those reside in membranes. 20-30% of all the proteins found in cells are membrane proteins. Many membrane proteins such as
The key key to open the door of iPSCs clinical therapy for patients
The discovery of iPSCs is probably one of the most astonishing accomplishments in the beginning of 21st century. This is by 4 early protein factors, the differentiated cells–such as fibroblasts, T and B cells—can return to pluripotent
Contraception by Essure: FDA’s gift to women comes in a new “Black Box”?
Worldwide, at least 750,000 women have had the Essure® procedure, which is the only method on hysteroscopic sterilization (HS) currently available. Efficacy data provided by the device manufacturer claims that HS is 99.83% effective at preventing pregnancy
Red ochre and early humans
Already 200.000 to 100.000 years ago Neanderthal people in Europe as well as early modern humans in Africa painted their body with red ochre mixed with fat. They did it long before modern man developed significant artistic
Prompt resolution of essential drug intolerance
The gut is nowadays seen as a site of cross-talk and interchange between the inner body (supposed to be sterile, namely free of viable harmful bugs) and the outer contaminated world, mainly entering the digestive tract through
Optimization of non-nutritional factors for enhancement of nisin production
Nisin, has been used as a food biopreservative for over forty years in more than 80 countries including the United States and Europe and is produced by Lactococcus lactis, a bacterium used widely for industrial production of
When shoulder replacement fails, what happens next?
Shoulder replacement for arthritis is becoming more common, and is growing at twice the rate of knee replacement. The shoulder consists of a ball (the head of the humerus) and a socket on the shoulder blade (the
Flattering innovation: a popular method to test new devices is often misunderstood and misused
How do we test a new method to measure something? Is it as good as a tried and tested method? It may be quicker and easier to use, but is the result equivalent to the old, clunky
Specific synthetic nucleic acids instead antibodies
For a long time immunological methods have been applied in biological research as well as for detection and evaluation of various substances in clinical analysis of body fluids. Serum proteins, antibodies, form integral parts in all variants
Assessing plant responses to gravity may be the key to unlocking Martian agriculture
For humans to become a multi-planetary species, we must first overcome many technological and biological hurdles. The closest two potential sites for extraterrestrial colonization (apart from low Earth orbit) are the Moon and Mars. The Moon exhibits
Is our immune system mistaking tumours for foetuses?
Tumours are abnormal growths of tissue where cells produced by the body get out of control and divide at a rapid and unregulated pace. And – when you think about it – embryos too are masses of
The roles of α2AP in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is autoimmune rheumatic disease of unknown etiology that is characterized by the fibrosis of skin and visceral organs, and peripheral circulatory disturbance. In our study, we found that alpha2-antiplasmin (α2AP), which is known to
Why clinicians, general practitioners and other therapists hesitate to use psychosomatic insights
Therapists often believe that psychosocial factors play a causal role in the etiology of psychosomatic syndromes, such as psoriasis, stomach ulcers, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, bowel syndrome or migraines. But for decades, all attempts at confirming such causation
The effects of brain stimulation on cognitive inhibition
The term cognitive inhibition refers to the ability to control or suppress irrelevant responses, and to adopt instead relevant and flexible responses. A common situation that requires cognitive inhibition includes for example, the resistant to check messages
