Monthly Archives: September 2016
Nuclear cardiac imaging: the “old grandma” has still something to say
Ischemic heart disease (IHD) remains one of the most relevant predictors of overall patients’ mortality and a major determinant of sanitary and social costs. Different strategies have been proposed for the early diagnosis of myocardial ischemia, a
Severe spontaneous hemoperitoneum in pregnancy may be linked to in vitro fertilization in patients with endometriosis
Endometriosis can cause infertility but women with endometriosis who do get pregnant can find that their symptoms improve afterwards. Because of this, doctors treat endometriosis with drugs that are similar to the hormone progesterone. We know that
Nerves are required to repair the injured heart
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), such as heart attack, are responsible for approximately 18 million deaths each year, which accounts for more than 30% of all deaths worldwide. CVD is the single greatest cause of death in humans killing
Why clinical practice guidelines for asthma hinder rather than help
Asthma is the leading reason children are hospitalized. Visits to emergency rooms, missed school, and missed work for the parents are further results of this common disorder. Recognizing the problem, guidelines were published by an Expert Panel
Why is radiation treatment more effective for cancers caused by HPV?
Human papilloma virus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and can lead to cancers in the affected organ such as the cervix. In the last 15 years, the rise in prevalence
Time to reflect as chromosomes loop-the-loop
Scientists are developing ever more detailed models to explain how DNA is stored inside our cells, and why it adopts the shapes it does. In a review of the latest research in the field Matthias Merkenschlager, of
Metallic iron for environmental remediation: A textbook message
The german word for science is “Wissenschaft” and can be word-wisely translated as „knowledge creation“. Knowledge is created by observing and understanding the nature. Once a natural process is understood, the conditions for its reproduction can be
Functional role of dissolved oxygen as TEA – Towards treatment of multiple pollutants
Domestic or industrial effluents need appropriate treatment prior to discharge into the ecosystem. Physicochemical processes have been commonly used for the treatment of wastewater. Alternatively, biological processes are considered to be advantageous and sustainable in comparison to the
Refuge women’s resettlement in western countries
Global movement has become a fashionable phenomenon. While some decide to migrate voluntarily, others cross borders in haste to settle down in safe countries. Recent worldwide conflicts including war, political conflicts, and economic crisis speeded up the
Immunological disturbances observed in chronic alcoholism
Alcoholism is a complex behavioral disorder characterized by the loss of control over alcohol consumption often involving other drug abuse with a relapsing and remitting course leading to significant impairment. Chronic alcohol use and alcoholism damages many
Transcription factor information system: A tool for detection of transcription factor binding sites
Transcription Factors are proteins those bind to DNA at specific sites (Transcription Factor Binding Sites or TFBSs) and control the gene expression. Hence identifying these TFBSs in DNA is important to understand the mechanism that regulates gene
Out-of-date statistics and traditional healers
It has been widely documented in the scientific literature, official fact sheets, reports and the press, that 80% of people in Asian and African countries (or sometimes: 80% of the world’s population) use traditional medicine practitioners to
The blood is Newtonian in LDL deposition through artery walls
The formation of an atherosclerotic plaque causes various cardiovascular diseases, such as a heart attack. In this process, the Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) has a main role, since it infiltrates in the artery wall and promotes the process,
Top on patient safety list: Do not turn off that beep
Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are constantly connected to beside monitors for close monitoring of physiologic functions. These monitors are equipped with alarms to notify the healthcare team of changes in the patient medical condition or
Stroke mimics: Why we need to consider changing the protocol for stroke treatment
Stroke-like symptoms are not always what they seem. Certain disorders can mimic stroke symptoms, leading to the misdiagnosis of ischemic stroke in up to 19% of patients. Mistaking these stroke mimics with an actual stroke can have disastrous
Irrigation of Mediterranean dry farmland impacts weed comunities
Ancha es Castilla (Wide is Castile), a popular saying that perfectly describes the vast landscapes of the land of Don Quixote. Castile, the central plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, is roughly a continuous succession of cereal fields,
Pericardial diseases – a brief review of the main syndromes
In the era of evidence-based medicine the extent of data from clinical trials and basic research is expanding constantly, and in order to assist a physician in clinical decision making, a set of recommendations in the particular
An innovative forensic “clock” for determining the time of a crime
Determining the time since deposition, or age, of bloodstains found at crime scenes is a highly important and integral part of forensic investigations. Knowing this crucial information can help forensic investigators determine the order of events and
Different morphs for different seasons: Seasonality of an insect invader
The Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD), a cousin of the widely-studied model organism Drosophila melanogaster, is a devastating pest of fruit crops such as strawberries, cherries, blueberries, and blackberries. SWD females lay their eggs inside of fresh fruit,
Surprisingly diverse impacts of SMARCB1 loss on gene expression programs in a lethal pediatric cancer
Malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRTs) are aggressive childhood cancers that are often resistant to chemotherapies and spread to other areas in the body (metastasis), making them one of the most lethal solid cancers known. Primary MRTs are frequently
