Monthly Archives: October 2016
Carbon isotopes – the chemist’s tool to trace marijuana cultivation environment
The lawful usage of marijuana is a complex legal minefield and point of conflict between states and the federal government. With the US Drug Enforcement Administration recently reaffirming marijuana as a Schedule I Drug, the cultivation, possession,
Von Willebrand factor – the blood vessel plumber
Inconspicuous in its inactive state, a protein called “von Willebrand factor” (VWF) evolves to a real lifesaver in case of an injury. Blood clotting is responsible for stopping a wound from bleeding, but how does this work?
Bacterial infection can be diagnosed and the severity evaluated using WBC count and left shift
In the event of bacterial infection, large numbers of neutrophils migrate from the blood to the infected site in order to destroy the invading microorganism and thus protect the host. The neutrophils removed from the peripheral blood
Combined technology for ready-to-cook meat safety and shelf-life extension
Meat is a highly perishable product. At its production chain, the physicochemical and microbiological quality of meat can be deteriorated because of the physiological status of the animal at slaughter, the spread of contamination during slaughter and
Rise of the gaseous (carbon dioxide) feedstock in circular bioeconomy
Voluminous release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere due to incessant combustion of hydrocarbon based fuel is causing grave environmental effects and irreversible climate changes globally. With the dawn of 20th century industrialization ~9.1 gigatons of CO2
Life emerged from oil
One approach to understanding the origin of life has been to construct chemical models of the cell. To represent the primitive cell membrane, researchers use various molecular assemblies. Among them, the “giant vesicle”, a micrometer-sized hollow structure
Cerebellar disruptions and neurodevelopmental disabilities
The cerebellum (“little brain”) is a part of the brain that is located in the back of the skull, dorsally to the brain stem, below the cerebrum, and above the spinal cord. The cerebellum consists of two
Mental health costs within the Alberta criminal justice system
We know that there is a relationship between mental illness and crime. We know less about the cost of mental health services as a proportion of all costs within the criminal justice system. In the absence of
How the indoor slippers affect our feet?
Open-toe mule slippers are popular footwear worn at home especially by older women. They are light in weight and convenient to wear. Nevertheless improper footwear and/or slippers may lead to foot pain and deformity, and even increase
Viable RNase H1 knockout mice: The end of an enigma
Human cells have two RNase H enzymes, HI and H2. RNase H enzymes degrade RNA but only when an RNA strand is hybridized to a DNA strand forming an RNA-DNA heteroduplex. These enzymes are present in almost
Another aspect in use of DMSO in medicinal chemistry
Drug discovery and development might be a long and arduous journey. A brave traveler steps forward enthusiastically, but unfortunately and almost always gets lost and comes back to the beginning, and thus only rarely gains a fruit
When inhibition means activation: towards the disclosure of the role of PKCδ in cell demise
Gliomas are highly invasive tumor cells which synthesize numbers of proteins/enzymes performing different functions. Some of these enzymes affect the cells survival, proliferation and migration, the others force the cells to commit suicide known under the term
Product of red grapes protects kidney from anticancer toxicity by increasing its extruding protein
Cancer chemotherapy is a double-edged tool. At one side, increasing anticancer dose may cure cancer but can cause severe toxic effects to vital organs. At the other side, decreasing the dose can protect vital organs from the
Landscapes of jasmonates during flower development and leaf stresses
Hormones are small compounds which regulate many aspects of life, from organ development to environmental adaptations. Jasmonates are plant hormones controlling various biological processes including flower development and defense against insects and fungi. In order to conserve
Delivery of therapeutic drugs in the form of a Trojan horse
When our immune system is infiltrated by pathogens and other disease-causing particles, the key response is usually inflammation and cell death. Cell death is also essential for fundamental physiological processes such as (embryonal) development and tissue homeostasis.
Inflammation alters brain function and pain processing centrally
In the last couple of years, some fascinating abilities of the immune system have emerged: The immune system is tightly interconnected with the nervous system, and can directly affect how the brain functions, and how a person
Depression severity is related to the development of heart disease in previously cardiac health subjects
Depression is a disabling, high-prevalence psychiatric condition. It is well established that depression is linked with physiological changes that can contribute to an unfavorable outcome in cardiac patients. As depressed patients exhibit impairments in the autonomic nervous
Organ allocation policies according to the UNESCO’s Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights
On October 19th, 2015 the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) adopted the “Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights”. The Declaration has been signed by representatives of the 191 member
Fish responses to ocean acidification comes with a cost
Ocean acidification is currently recognized as a major threat to marine ecosystems and has become one of the fastest growing research fields in marine sciences. The excessive amount of anthropogenic carbon dioxide is making our oceans warmer
Immune depression in the malnourished child: Knowledge all dressed up with nowhere to go
Nearly one million children under five years of age die annually from wasting deficits of protein and energy acting in synergy with pneumonia and diarrhea, and this toll is undoubtedly exceeded numerically by an additional burden of
