Monthly Archives: April 2016
The apothecary inside us
New drugs might be found right under our noses or, more precisely, in our guts as we learn more about the ways metabolites from intestinal bacteria modulate human metabolic and immunity pathways. Our recently published paper in
From famine to feast: cells can adapt to nutritional changes
Sometimes we have mostly vegetables, at other times, meat; sometimes we eat much, at other times, little. Our diet can be quite changeable. This is all the more true for animals, which need to content themselves with
Fruit flies become disabled prior to death
Disability among the elderly costs the U. S. healthcare systems billions of dollars each year. Much of this cost is experienced in the months and years before death. While it is clear we cannot avoid death, perhaps
Application of the fungicide kresoxim-methyl prior to drought and salinity stress imposition enhances the ability of plants to survive
Plants are exposed to multiple environmental stresses ( e. g. drought, salinity ), resulting in major yield losses in modern agriculture. Drought and salinity are the two major abiotic threats for plant production and potentially food security.
Folic acid supplementation in pregnancy does not prevent preterm birth
Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin of the B group. Data from observational studies showed that folic acid, which is commonly used to prevent neural tube defects, may have a role in the prevention of pregnancy complications
Metabolic imaging is new a tool to investigate blood-brain barrier in Alzheimer disease
Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia worldwide. AD is characterized by progressive decline in cognitive functions. In the initial stages, deterioration of memory and loss of other intellectual abilities start to interfere with
Alcohol sports sponsorship and harmful drinking
There is strong and consistent evidence to show exposure to alcohol advertising increases the likelihood that young people start drinking at an earlier age, and to drink more if they already use alcohol. The Organisation for Economic
Comparison of anesthetic vaporizers
In many research laboratories that use small animals, anesthesia is used for a variety of procedures. The most common and widely used anesthetic gas is isoflurane because it can be easily adjusted to control how “deep” under
High blood pressure: does it matter to know your disease condition and prescribed medicines well?
High blood pressure is a disease condition in which the force of the blood against your artery walls is perpetually high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, such as heart disease. If you have been
When the physician may identify microscopic tissue architecture in real time
Diagnosis of disease is the fundamental goal of medicine as treatment and prognosis rely on it. The diagnostic process ends eventually with tissue sampling (biopsy) for microscopic evaluation. The paradigm “tissue is the issue” reflects the modern trend
Gene wiring keeps bacteria cooperating
A bacterial cell can cooperate with its neighbours by producing molecules that allow them to grow better. These molecules may for example be enzymes that break down complex nutrients into digestible components. Because making these enzymes is
Two kinds of novel osmoregulation pathways in Escherichia coli
To cope with severe environmental changes, cell is equipped with various stress response pathways. Osmotic upshift (hyperosmotic shock) triggers water efflux from bacterial cell, and the resulting cell shrinkage is sensed by osmosensors embedded in the cytoplasmic
Diamonds – The doctors’s best friend?!
Most people know about diamonds as jewelry and as the hardest material that can cut nearly everything. It is also known that what makes diamonds unique is the crystalline structure, which is brought about primarily with high
The tiny riders
Nematodes have evolved tremendously to occupy diverse niches while inhabiting all possible habitats on earth. Besides being usually categorised as parasitic or free-living forms they can further show diverse types of feeding guilds and associations. Diplogastrids represent
Facial fractures among Sudanese children
Trauma to the face in children can result fractures to the facial bones and jaw are less frequent compared to adults but result in special complications affecting the growth, function and esthetics. The study aimed at assessing
Normal mouth fungus changes after admission to the intensive care unit
The mouth is an important entry point into the body. Under normal conditions the mouth has many kinds of fungus, called the oral mycobiome, that help the body maintain health and resist infections. Several factors contribute to
Cancer and blood vessels: an old ridlle resolved
As any other organ of the human body, cancer needs a blood supply to provide oxygen and nutrients and to eliminate wastes. Although already the ancient Greeks had realized that there is a close relationship between tumours
Do you have pain on the lateral side of your knee (often diagnosed as iliotibial Band Syndrome)?
Runners, bicyclists, and many other active individuals who experience pain along the lateral side of their knee joint are often diagnosed as having iliotibial band syndrome or iliotibial band friction syndrome. This problem is attributed to a
May apple inspires new anti-tumour compounds that trigger preferential death of cancer cells
Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) are woodland plants, typically growing across most of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. All the parts of the plant are poisonous even the leaves and the root. Mayapple contains podophyllotoxin which is
Review of ten-years presence of Aedes albopictus in Spain
The tiger mosquito was first detected in 2004 near Barcelona, although maybe it had arrived one or two years before. Since then, its distribution has been spreading and, in 2014, it has been found in almost all
