Monthly Archives: October 2016
Dr. Stanko Sielski (1891–1958): Physician, scientist, humanist
It will soon be 125 years since the birth of Dr. Stanko Sielski, the physician, humanist and scientist, who is worthy of our interest, not only in the field of medicine, but also in the fields of
Visualizing gelsolin amyloid with nanobodies; small molecules with big potential
Amyloidosis is a group of diseases characterized by the deposition of aggregated proteins, or protein fragments, in tissues and organs. The diseases differ from each other in the causative protein, but once aggregation starts, they all result
Serotonin and sleep regulation: cellular and molecular mechanisms
Serotonin ( 5-HT ) is a neurotransmitter, which plays major roles in several physiological functions including circadian rhythmicity, appetite, thermoregulation, nociception, emotion and cognition. The relationship between 5-HT and sleep was demonstrated by several experiments, including in particular an
Prevention of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: a novel application of the polypill concept
Nearly 287.000 women die every year during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days after birth. Most of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Asia and South-America, and could have been prevented if women
Pedophilia emerging in a 64 years old pediatrician
Everyone knows what pedophilia is, but probably only few people are aware that pedophilia might also emerge anytime in life as a consequence of brain damage. Indeed, sometimes pedophilic behavior could be observed in old people with
What is needed to eliminate new HIV infections in children?
Prevention of transmission of HIV from mothers to infants has become a preventable disease in most western countries because of the use of effective HIV treatment called antiretroviral therapy (ART) that HIV positive pregnant mothers use. However,
Gene sequencing validation for select commercial turkey genes
Gene expression analysis via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a common tool used to determine, using molecular techniques, the physiological basis underlying experiments with animal tissues. Some genes are “turned on” and others silenced in response to
Chiari malformations and syringohydromyelia in children
More than 100 years ago, Hans Chiari, an Austrian pathologist, described different types of morphological abnormalities of the posterior fossa, the small space in the lower part of the skull just above the spinal canal. The brainstem
Attenuated bacteria as a DNA-delivery system for Chagas disease vaccine
Chagas disease caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) one of the most neglected tropical diseases worldwide. Prevalent in developing countries, it has a major social and economic impact in
Chemical perturbations as pressure increments
What are thermotropic liquid crystals? the usual answer considers the two antagonistic terms ‘liquid’ and ‘crystal’ and claims that it corresponds to a special state of matter, in which some organization, inherent to crystals, is retained, while
A thermotolerant mannanase improves lignocellulose degradation for bioethanol production
Renewable energy sources, such as 2 nd generation biofuels, could serve as an alternative to fossil fuels and alleviate environmental issues caused mainly by greenhouse gas emissions. Lignocellulosic biomass is considered to be a profuse and inexpensive
Active ingredients in personal care products detected throughout the environment
On a daily basis, we use a variety of personal care products, including soaps, detergents, sunscreens, fragrances, insect repellents, cosmetics, and shampoos. In fact, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the average household spends over
Suicide in pregnancy: a tragic cause of maternal death on the Thai-Myanmar border
Across the globe, suicide is an important and leading cause of death during pregnancy and after childbirth. The estimates we have are likely to be under-estimates of the true figures because many death registers wrongly record deaths
Modulation of SOCS3 in macrophages can enhance the clearance of dying cells in inflammation
Macrophages, from the Latin meaning “big eaters”, are key cells of the immune system that have the ability to scan tissues in the body and engulf and destroy invading pathogens. They also play a housekeeping role, to
How did computers help us to find biomarkers for corticosteroid resistance in asthma through systems biology approach?
Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the lower airways, hampering the air movement in the lungs and the gas exchange. Asthma is characterized by bronchial inflammation that, particularly during an asthma attack, results in difficulty of
How sustainable is British biogas?
Biogas is a renewable fuel produced from the controlled decomposition of organic material in the absence of oxygen (“anaerobic digestion”). Biogas contains 50-60% methane, and can be combusted to generate heat and electricity, or cleaned of impurities
Just add water; boiling up high-performing thermoelectrics
Thermoelectric materials can realise direct conversion from thermal to electrical energy and offer unique opportunities to harvest useful electricity from waste heat. Tin selenide (SnSe) is one of the best thermoelectrics currently known as it combines an
From parasitic microfungi towards the origins of Microsporidia
Microsporidia are unicellular eukaryotic parasites, infecting virtually all animals including humans. They are characterized by peculiar morphological and genetic features, which are the result of their extreme adaptation to the intracellular lifestyle. Interestingly, the infection apparatus in
Respiratory function monitoring in ventilated newborns
Respiratory failure is a common problem in premature newborn infants due to the immaturity. In newborns with sufficient spontaneous breathing efforts, non-invasive ventilation support is commonly used, but intubation and mechanical ventilation are often unavoidable. Although intubation
How realistic is the potential global spread of Zika virus and should we all be worried?
Unless you have taken a holiday on Mars for the whole of this year no doubt by now you will have heard of Zika. This is the virus that has emerged in the last 18 months to
