Monthly Archives: April 2016
Washing microbes away
Microbial colonies that stick to surfaces or tissues are difficult to remove. The simplest way to try to detach them is to scrub them off, for example when brushing one’s teeth, but the exertion of mechanical forces
Using Google Search engine for predicting popularity and harm of psychoactive agents
Misuse of psychoactive agents is one of the most serious social issues. They are often illegal but readily available on the black market. Psychoactive drugs may lead to addiction, affect human brain, human behaviour, mood or perception
Copper oxide for low cost and stable perovskite solar cells
To date, numerous attempts have been carried out to provide energy from natural resources. As the petroleum related fuels produce large amount of pollution which had been reported as a big threat to creature life, employing green
Upregulation of a protein in the brains of patients with neurodegenerative diseases due to its altered membrane binding
The proteins of the Neuronal Calcium Sensor (NCS) family act as calcium dependent molecular switches in order to maintain the communication between the brain cells. Most of NCS proteins are involved in neurodegenerative diseases resulting from calcium
Monitoring research projects in resource-constrained countries in real-time
In under-resourced countries, paper forms are still frequently used to collect research data. Paper records are expensive to prepare, distribute, store and archive. Paper is easy to lose or destroy, and is not easy to access especially
Taking medication for rheumatological diseases whilst pregnant or breastfeeding: Guidance published
Many women find themselves wishing to have children whilst taking medications to treat their rheumatic disease, which they worry may be harmful to their baby. There is very little research however, about the safety of medications during
Why identify microscopic photosynthetic bacteria called Cyanobacteria?
Cyanobacteria, the small, harmless bacteria, are invisible to the naked eye. Cyanobacteria photosynthesize like all plants do and thus produce the oxygen we breath. In nature they can be found almost everywhere from the open ocean, to
Intramural esophageal diverticula
Over five billion dollars are spent annually in the United States to control acid reflux symptoms, such as abdominal and/or chest pains, acid regurgitation, coughing and others. The article by Hubbard and Demos (2016) presents three unusual
How much does abandonment of assistive technology cost Italy’s national health service?
The growing need for assistive technology. World Health Organization estimates that today, more than one billion people need assistive technology (AT). AT include any item, piece of equipment or product, whether it is acquired commercially, modified or
Nails can help detect arterial disease in legs
When insufficient blood supply is delivered to legs is called peripheral artery disease (PAD), which has several stages. Initially it can be asymptomatic but can evolve into gangrene in severe cases. It frequently manifests in the elderly,
Nasogastric tube insertion: the simple yet impossible
Nasogastric tube (NGT) insertion is a common procedure with wide range of indications from elective insertion in a healthy patient undergoing anesthesia for a routine surgery to critically ill comatose patients. It is usually easier to perform
An international team opens new avenues toward PKU therapy
When a baby is born, a simple blood test reveals whether the child has PKU, which is a recessive genetic disorder where the body fails to regulate the amount of phenylalanine (Phe) in blood. Phe is a
Versatile fabrication for aerogels by freezing and subsequent freeze-drying of nanoparticle solutions
Aerogels are fascinating materials because they are lightweight, highly porous and exhibit huge surface areas. They consist of more than 99% air, while the rest is a well interconnected network of small inorganic or organic particles or
Is surgical treatment effective for different forms of spinal cord compression?
Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM) is the most common cause of injury to the spinal cord in the elderly population worldwide and, with an aging population globally, it is likely to become even more common. As such, a
Assessment of hand hygiene techniques
Hand hygiene is the most important to prevent the spread of infections associated with health care among patients tool. Wash hands using 5 moments recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) with the patient now it seems
Sugammadex, a reversal of the neuromuscular blocker rocuronium has no effect on the depth of anaesthesia
Neuromuscular blockers are drugs given during general anaesthesia to facilitate the anaesthetists’ and surgeons manoeuvres, like relaxation of the vocal cords and relaxation of the abdominal muscles. These drugs do not spare the respiratory muscles impairing so
Water on the brain? Putting the “Hydro” on the “Cephalus”
Hydrocephalus, in the most basic sense, means an increased amount of fluid in the spaces of the brain. This fluid is specifically called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with “cerebro” referring to brain and “spinal” referring to the spinal
Improving the care of lung cancer patients who need major surgery
We report the impact of several factors on procedure times for major lung surgery for cancer, focusing on staff turnover within the surgical team. We propose a new definition of surgical team turnover which allows us to
Uncovering the microRNA landscape in the crop pest nematode Meloidogyne incognita
Plant-parasitic nematodes are small roundworms that predominantly feed on roots and cause crop yield losses. The root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita is among the most damaging pests of several crops including cotton, tomato, and soybean. The infective stage
Does the ethnomedicinal uses of the sour plum tree correlate with its ethnopharmacological properties?
Ximenia caffra Sond. (Fig. 1), commonly referred to as “sour plum” is a common and popular medicinal and fruit tree in the dryland zone in central, eastern and southern Africa. The generic name ‘Ximenia’ commemorates a Spanish
