Yearly Archives: 2016

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

Safety first: Ammonia storage in nickel salts for safe and clean vehicles

Hydrogen is what many scientists believe to be the best replacement for fossil fuels in mobile applications such as cars. It contains a lot of energy, it can be used in fuel cells and using hydrogen produces

Hoopoes modulate their alliance with beneficial bacteria along the nesting phase

Alliances with microorganisms are crucial for animal life and survival. Beneficial associations between animals and bacteria and other microbes are quite diverse. Perhaps, the most widely extended and known association between animals and microorganisms is that of

Obesity in British and German online newspapers

How news articles discuss events and issues may impact how these events and issues are understood by people and what courses of action receive more support. Much has therefore been written about the news representation of obesity

Role of heterochromatin in establishing and changing cell fate

In development, a fertilized egg replicates many times, growing into an embryo and differentiating into many types of cells. In people, differentiation generates brain cells, muscle cells, and fat cells, among others. Each cell type has its

What makes people under stress more vulnerable to become addicted to cocaine? Brain BDNF may be the key

Annually, drug addiction leads to 0.5 – 1.3% of mortality for people between 15-64 years of age and has an estimated economic impact of $524 billion in the U.S, due to addiction-related health care, loss of productivity,

Can we replace heparin with saline in long term central venous catheters in children?

A central venous catheter (CVC) is a long, thin, flexible tube which is inserted into a large central vein. This enables access to the blood stream for people with serious medical conditions to receive medications and fluids,