Yearly Archives: 2016
Colour coding and redesign improves safety during anaesthesia
Error in the administration of drugs to patients is a well-known source of harm during healthcare. This is of particular concern during anaesthesia because many powerful drugs are used. We applied good design principles to the anaesthetist’s
Positron Emission Tomography can visualize pancreatic cancer tumor changes during chemotherapy and predict longer survival
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly cancer types. Only 20% of patients live beyond 1 year after diagnosis because of the aggressive nature of this disease and ineffective treatments. Therefore it is crucial to recognize
A mutation breathes air into tyrosinase activity
Our skin turns brown when exposed to the sun, and our hair is black, brown, red or blond when we are young. All of these colours and browning processes are due to a polymer, melanin, the synthesis
Sick arteries give their small cousins a beating: new insight into vascular pathology in Alzheimer’s disease
That the brain’s blood vessels, a.k.a. cerebrovasculature, play an important role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related brain disorders is not entirely new. In fact, it was Alois Alzheimer and some of his contemporaries who observed gross
Lessons learned from the study of non-cancerous meningioma tumors
Meningiomas are the most common among tumors inside the skull (35.6%). The cellular origin of these tumors is the membrane that surrounds the brain, the meninges (Fig. 1) Most meningiomas are grades I & II according to
Are disinfection processes an effective barrier in controlling the spread of antibiotic resistance in the environment?
According to the report on global surveillance of antimicrobial resistance published in 2014 by the World Health Organization (WHO), the world is heading towards a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries may once again
When you and me become two sides of one coin
Since about mid-1700 western ideology increasingly emphasizes individualism and the distinction between a person and his or her social environment. But the separation between oneself and others has been shown to vary between individuals and even from
Not in my neighborhood- herpes simplex virus control of microbiome locality
The players vary, but who is really controlling occupancy of the host mucosal surfaces? The host may no longer be the sole ruling factor controlling the receptor sites for attachment of microbes, and thus membership in the
Recognizing human faces: a highly individual skill
One of the most taxing and complex processes that our brains must perform is to recognize the faces of those around us. This process is critical for social interaction since we learn about age, gender, identity, mood
Plosive consonants in L2 English: a problematic area for CG speakers?
Second language (L2) users often experience a great degree of difficulty in identifying non-native phonological segments that do not form phonological distinctions in the first language (L1). These difficulties are typically related to factors relevant to Universal
Truncated INH-NAD adduct, an active intermediate in the action of Isoniazid (INH) against InhA enzyme in tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) remains as an important infectious disease, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) which is responsible for around 1.5 million deaths and 9.6 million new cases annually. Isoniazid (INH), a bactericidal compound used as a first-line drug
Biophysical characterization of monofilm model systems composed of selected tear film phospholipids
While our eyes are open they are constantly exposed to bacterial infections, injury, and dehydration. To provide the necessary protection against these hazards the outer surface of our eyes is covered by a thin layer known as
GlyT2 inhibitors: Getting the balance right
In the central nervous system, signals are sent through brain pathways using neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers of our brain. The strength and duration of these messages are governed by the concentration of neurotransmitters in the synapses between
Effect of Femoral offset in THA ?
The Femoral Offset (FO) is defined as the perpendicular distance between the femoral head’s center of rotation and the long axis of the femur, which is estimated using an anteroposterior (AP) radiograph of the pelvis as shown
Acute exercise causes changes in cognition
Catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine) play important roles in the brain and in the body. In the brain dopamine and norepinephrine, also known as noradrenaline, act as neurotransmitters. In the body, norepinephrine and epinephrine, also known as
Can an eye exam predict the risk of stroke?
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for nearly 200,000 deaths in the UK per year, with coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure accounting for most of these deaths. General practitioners need an accurate and reliable tool to help
Clinical studies ask: “Are less expensive ‘biosimilar’ drugs as effective and safe as current drugs?”
Several debilitating diseases caused by disorders in a patient’s immune system – often called ‘immune-mediated diseases’ – have become easier to treat in the last two decades following the discovery of drugs called ‘biologics’. Biologics act on
The variegated world of poly-ubiquitin chains
Proteins share with living beings the events of birth, life and death. They are ‘born’ when information contained in the DNA is translated into an amino acid chain and live their life in their natural environments (i.e.
Neurons share the same destiny irrespective of their location: A closer look at PP-MS pathogenesis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system, caused by the reaction of immune cells against myelin, a membrane that surrounds the axons of nerve cells. MS is characterized by the presence of inflammatory
The application of biosensors for meat quality analysis
To meet the demands of growing meat consumption in recent years, animal farming tended to increase meatiness. The rise of meatiness was not in concordance with the improvement of the meat quality. The quality of meat is
