Yearly Archives: 2016
Caesarean section changes the gut colonization of the newborn – a link to disease risk?
Delivery by means of caesarean section is a shared risk factor for several immune-mediated diseases in childhood, including asthma. The healthy embryo is believed to be sterile, receiving the first bacteria from mother´s birth canal and intestinal
Newly discovered brachial plexus variation may explain cases of undiagnosed Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
The brachial plexus is the network of nerves that carries sensation from the skin of the upper extremity (arm), and supplies the muscles of the shoulder, arm, forearm, and hand. These nerves originate from the spinal cord,
Time arrow in nature: logical key to an information based universe
During the past century more and more counterintuitive, irrational or paradox mechanisms have been implemented in physics to “explain” our real world. They range from effects without causes in quantum physics and a four dimensional space time
Fistula salvage
For patients with renal failure renal replacement therapy, better known as dialysis is necessary. Without dialysis the body’s waste products rapidly build up posing a risk of immediate death to the patient. The most critical of these
Are we depressed when we miss our inner clock?
All of us have preferred times to wake up and to go to bed. We get hungry at approximately the same times each day and can concentrate better at other times. Such daily rhythms are not just
Dementia and successful ageing after 100: An international consortium
Up until recently, centenarians and near-centenarians (i.e. 95 years and above) were considered outliers – few and far between – who had somehow beaten the odds and survived to the very limit of the human lifespan. According
Chinese plants against syphilis from a 1740 French treatise by Jean Astruc
Historical medical sources can be still queried for forgotten cures and remedies. Chinese materia medica and remedies recorded or imported by the Europeans still reveal unknown or forgotten medicinal plants. An unknown today, versatile treatise on venereology
Microfluidic tumor models help pre-clinical screening of T cell cancer immunotherapies
Cancer immunotherapy draws upon the patient’s own immune system to recognize and fight the disease. One form of cancer immunotherapy is known as adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) consisting of isolation, genetic manipulation and reinfusion into the
3,3′-diindolylmethane is a novel signalling molecule in Canola plants
Glucosinolates are organic compounds which exist in the Brassica family of plants and which are derived from glucose and amino acids and consists of sulphur and nitrogen in their structure. Glucosinolates exist as many different compounds in
Simple mathematical formulas for tracking the number of antibiotic resistance cases globally
In order to continue to live, microbes and germs have found ways to prevent drugs from killing them in the process of curing patients—when the patients ingest the drugs for treatment. Microbes destroying drugs within patients and
Do surgeons need to rewash their hands during operations that last long?
More than one hundred and fifty years ago surgical pioneers like Ignaz Semmelweis and Joseph Lister introduced hand washing and sterile surgical techniques to prevent surgical site infection (SSI). However, despite advances in infection control practices over
Spectroscopy of biophotons radiated from a fingertip
What color of light beams are emitting from your fingertips? That is neither a fantasy nor an occult question. If you possessed eyes of extremely high-sensitivity or had a special CCD camera like one used for a
What do we know about weight regain following the sleeve gastrectomy weight loss operation?
Obesity is increasingly common and has devastating effects on society. When an individual is obese, they are more likely to have heart disease, lung disease, diabetes and cancer. Furthermore, obese people have less quality of life and
The old-generation smallpox vaccines – Are we ready for the tomorrow outbreak?
Smallpox disease has menaced the world throughout history with large scale epidemics and a case fatality rate of about 30%. Following the introduction of smallpox vaccine by Eduard Jenner in 1796, and later with the global effort
Recognizing the clinical presentation of pachydermodactyly
Pachydermodactyly (PDD) is a unique, benign soft tissue disorder affecting the hands, first reported in 1975. Patients with PDD typically present with painless swelling at the middle joint of the fingers, although in rare cases this swelling
The mood stabilizer valproic acid tunes up abnormal circadian rhythms in mania
Circadian clocks rule our lives. In the course of evolution, almost all living creatures developed molecular mechanisms that optimally prepare our bodies for predictable , recurring events related to the regular alternations between day and night. This
Parents supporting parents: Development and evaluation of a peer parent program for perinatal loss
The loss of a pregnancy or newborn ( i. e., perinatal loss ) can be one of the most traumatic experiences parents can face. The most common type of loss is miscarriage ( i. e., loss occurring
Prevalence of hospitalisation resulting from medicine related problems among adult patients with cardiovascular diseases and/or diabetes
Cardiovascular diseases ( CVDs ) and diabetes ( DM ) are two interrelated groups of diseases that contribute to more than 50 % of death worldwide. Patients with CVDs and / or DM often take multiple medicines
The protein p62 helps liver cancer-initiating cells survive
The most common form of adult liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is the third-leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. HCC arises from persistent liver inflammation related to hepatitis B or C infection, alcohol consumption, or
