Yearly Archives: 2016
Top on patient safety list: Do not turn off that beep
Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are constantly connected to beside monitors for close monitoring of physiologic functions. These monitors are equipped with alarms to notify the healthcare team of changes in the patient medical condition or
Stroke mimics: Why we need to consider changing the protocol for stroke treatment
Stroke-like symptoms are not always what they seem. Certain disorders can mimic stroke symptoms, leading to the misdiagnosis of ischemic stroke in up to 19% of patients. Mistaking these stroke mimics with an actual stroke can have disastrous
Irrigation of Mediterranean dry farmland impacts weed comunities
Ancha es Castilla (Wide is Castile), a popular saying that perfectly describes the vast landscapes of the land of Don Quixote. Castile, the central plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, is roughly a continuous succession of cereal fields,
Pericardial diseases – a brief review of the main syndromes
In the era of evidence-based medicine the extent of data from clinical trials and basic research is expanding constantly, and in order to assist a physician in clinical decision making, a set of recommendations in the particular
An innovative forensic “clock” for determining the time of a crime
Determining the time since deposition, or age, of bloodstains found at crime scenes is a highly important and integral part of forensic investigations. Knowing this crucial information can help forensic investigators determine the order of events and
Different morphs for different seasons: Seasonality of an insect invader
The Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD), a cousin of the widely-studied model organism Drosophila melanogaster, is a devastating pest of fruit crops such as strawberries, cherries, blueberries, and blackberries. SWD females lay their eggs inside of fresh fruit,
Surprisingly diverse impacts of SMARCB1 loss on gene expression programs in a lethal pediatric cancer
Malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRTs) are aggressive childhood cancers that are often resistant to chemotherapies and spread to other areas in the body (metastasis), making them one of the most lethal solid cancers known. Primary MRTs are frequently
Zinc homeostasis in myeloid cells is regulated by epigenetic mechanisms
Zinc is an essential trace element with integral roles in numerous biological processes, including enzymatic function, protein structure, and cell signaling pathways. This metal serves as a catalytic or structural cofactor for about 300 different proteins. Abnormal
Are Irish therapists at increased risk of low back pain? – Comparison with national working population
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) is a broad term used to describe a number of inflammatory and degenerative conditions of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, nerves and supporting blood vessels. They affect the upper limbs, lower limbs and the
Inhibitors that reduce the acquisition of antibiotic resistance
The rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance is a worldwide crisis, endangering the efficacy of antibiotic treatment. A recent article in Scientific America (December 16, 2014) highlights the importance of developing strategies for reducing antibiotic resistance and prolonging
Simultaneous integrated analysis of biological datasets: an evaluation of O2PLS
The rapid progress in high throughput technology made it possible to measure biological processes at several levels: DNA markers (genetic code), gene expression (which represents the process of reading the code of a gene), proteomics (proteins are
Your DNA goes places you have never been: What does this mean for forensic scientists interpreting DNA found at a crime scene?
During a criminal investigation, items are commonly examined for DNA to try to identify a potential suspect (Fig. 1). But is this DNA really from someone involved in the crime or has it got there through innocent
Early-onset Alzheimer disease: what are we missing?
Memory is the first brain function that starts to fade away when Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology affects the brain of a patient. Decline of additional cognitive functions, shortly follows. This progressive and irreversible disease, intrudes the life
Improved biosafety of genetically modified cyanobacteria
Biosafety is a major concern in biotechnology when genetically modified (GM) organisms are used in a process. With increasing interest for cyanobacterial biotechnology and synthetic biology, it is astonishing that there has been, up to now, no
Finechemical production by photosynthesis
The foreseeable depletion of fossil resources and the increase of atmospheric CO2 leads to a urgent demand of to increase the sustainability of our industry. The pharmaceutical and chemical industries belong to the most waste-intensive and energy
Mutations in the SORL1 gene affect risk of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, leading to an enormous burden on societies worldwide. In brains of patients with AD, abnormal tangles of a protein called tau are found within nerve cells, in
How to tailor flow-induced nanostructures of nanomaterials of cellulose nanofibrils?
Cellulose nanofibrils (NFCs) are the elementary reinforcing constituents of plant cell walls. They are isolated from cellulose fibers in the form of slender semi-crystalline nanofibers (Fig. 1) with outstanding intrinsic mechanical properties, e.g. a longitudinal elastic modulus
Evaluation of heart rate measurements in clinical studies – Which way to do it right?
100.000 times a day – this is the daily number of heart beats in human beings. This huge workload normally will pass by unobserved in a healthy being, but in a patient with heart disease any alteration
Is the best cancer offense a good defense?
Although the unique DiRas (Distinct subgroup of the Ras family) family of small GTPases shares homology with the pro-oncogenic Ras GTPases, it has tumor-suppressive actions. DiRas1 (also known as Di-Ras1 or Rig) has been reported to be
Ionic liquid mixtures as safe electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries
There is an intense drive in the present scenario towards the efficient generation and storage of energy for carrying out the various power driven mechanics of life. The energy demand for development and sustenance of the world
