Yearly Archives: 2016
Climate change and global warming affect dairy cattle reproduction
The increase in average global temperatures is a major threat not only to human beings but also to farm animals, especially dairy cattle. Animal welfare is nowadays a priority and reproduction is actually something of an Achilles
Is it possible to overcome microscopic contamination affecting the interpretation of the archaeological record?
Archaeology is a subfield of anthropology, the study of all human culture. This discipline often resorts to several scientific techniques to analyse the archaeological record. For instance, microscopy is intensively used to analyse different materials, such as
Microalgae – a potential biocatalyst for waste remediation with value Addition
Microalgae have the ability to sequester carbon dioxide, and grow in nutrient-rich environments and accumulate nutrients and metals from wastewater contributing for environmental sustainability and carbon neutrality. More recently, utility of microalgae as biocatalyst is garnered much
On the track of DNA damage in insects
DNA is a molecule containing all information necessary for proper function, development, growth, and reproduction of an organism. DNA usually consists of two strands, which are made of nucleotides. Each of them contains one nitrogen nucleobase –
Brain bypass: current trends in the treatment of patients with complex cerebrovascular disease
Cerebral Revascularization or bypass is the neurosurgical equivalent of coronary artery bypass. In these procedures a surgeon uses existing vessels in the head and brain or vessels harvested from another part of the body to either replace
Locking out HIV from human cells: a new powerful approach
Picture your home, the safest place in the world. And now imagine a criminal that wants to enter and become you home landlord. And imagine that the criminal has the key. What would you do to protect
Shortness of breath from exercise: facts and fiction
Both athletes and aspiring young athletes can be concerned about getting excessively short of breath during exercise. Does that mean there is something wrong? The answer is maybe or maybe not. All too often, the assumption is
Women less likely than men to stick to cardiac rehab programs
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in North America and it occurs more in women than in men. After a sudden heart event, women are more likely than men to die, more likely to have
Do abstract paintings feel cold or warm?
We found that people do associate what they see with their own eyes with a tactile sensation even in the absence of an obvious parallel. It would be no surprise to find that pictures of a sweater
Nonbenign parathyroid tumors in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1: Atypical neoplasms and parathyroid carcinoma
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is a genetic disorder characterized by usually benign tumors of the parathyroid glands, pancreatic islets, and anterior pituitary. The genetic etiology of MEN1 is localized to the MEN1 gene located on
Skin cells help to find new drugs for dying neurons
Huntington disease (HD) is an inherited disease that causes the progressive death of nerve cells in the brain structure. In mid ages this leads to several symptoms including uncontrolled twitching movements, called chorea, emotional problems, and loss
Focusing on the most relevant gene variants in inherited breast and ovarian cancer
Modern sequencing technology (which has begun to become adopted in clinical labs) can provide invaluable genetic information of individuals, such as those with a family history of early onset breast cancer. However, this information also results in
Hydrogen bonded Frameworks for CO2 capture and more
Hydrogen bonded frameworks (HOFs) have been known for a long time. In recent times, there has been enormous interest in their rational design from a wide library of hydrogen bonding molecules with varying geometries. Among the porous
Nanodiamonds are just around the corner
The expansion of nanotechnology cause increased penetration of nanoparticles into the environment and their exposure of animals becomes inevitable. Consequently studies on their effects and potential toxicity is now gaining attention. Nanodiamonds (ND) are allotropes of carbon
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,
