Yearly Archives: 2016
Complications of deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty: Avoid, recognize and treat!
Penetrating keratoplasty was the first transplantation performed by humans and is in use since over 100 years to treat diseases of the transparent foremost avascular part of the eye – called CORNEA. The cornea has the function
Can NSAIDs alter thyroid hormone function?
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are taken to treat pain and inflammation, and are the most frequently taken over the counter drug type taken worldwide. They work by inhibiting cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, whose products are used by other
A better, safer clot buster for heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases
A clot that obstructs blood flow triggers the onset of most heart attacks and 85% of strokes, the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Reestablishing blood flow rapidly limits damage to the heart or brain, saves
Special molecular mechanism makes CD147 an interesting drug target in cancer or autoimmune diseases
T cells are important players of the immune system, recognizing foreign or dangerous agents with their unique receptors. They defend the body from these agents either directly by killing or by recruiting or regulating other immune system
Can we select best sperm?
About 48.5 million couples worldwide have been unable to birth a child after five years or more, and have used assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Male infertility is a cause in 30-50% of these cases. Infertile men tend
Collateral damages and self-inflicted scars by inflammation in cardiovascular diseases
Inflammation is a double-edged sword used by the body to initiate the healing process. However, persistence of immune responses can cause progressive destruction of tissues culminating in self-destructive autoimmune reactions which is a hallmark of many diseases.
The composition of the breadcrumb influences acrylamide formation in a breaded product
Dietary habits have changed over the last years, decreasing the consumption of fresh foods and increasing the consumption of processed foods such as fast foods, where battered and breaded products are included. Breaded products are characterized by
Who are the people waitiing to have talking therapies?
Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) is a national programme across the England offering access to psychological therapies for people with depression and anxiety. These include cognitive behavioural therapy and other “talking therapies”. A way to monitor
Washing microbes away
Microbial colonies that stick to surfaces or tissues are difficult to remove. The simplest way to try to detach them is to scrub them off, for example when brushing one’s teeth, but the exertion of mechanical forces
Using Google Search engine for predicting popularity and harm of psychoactive agents
Misuse of psychoactive agents is one of the most serious social issues. They are often illegal but readily available on the black market. Psychoactive drugs may lead to addiction, affect human brain, human behaviour, mood or perception
Copper oxide for low cost and stable perovskite solar cells
To date, numerous attempts have been carried out to provide energy from natural resources. As the petroleum related fuels produce large amount of pollution which had been reported as a big threat to creature life, employing green
Upregulation of a protein in the brains of patients with neurodegenerative diseases due to its altered membrane binding
The proteins of the Neuronal Calcium Sensor (NCS) family act as calcium dependent molecular switches in order to maintain the communication between the brain cells. Most of NCS proteins are involved in neurodegenerative diseases resulting from calcium
Monitoring research projects in resource-constrained countries in real-time
In under-resourced countries, paper forms are still frequently used to collect research data. Paper records are expensive to prepare, distribute, store and archive. Paper is easy to lose or destroy, and is not easy to access especially
Taking medication for rheumatological diseases whilst pregnant or breastfeeding: Guidance published
Many women find themselves wishing to have children whilst taking medications to treat their rheumatic disease, which they worry may be harmful to their baby. There is very little research however, about the safety of medications during
Why identify microscopic photosynthetic bacteria called Cyanobacteria?
Cyanobacteria, the small, harmless bacteria, are invisible to the naked eye. Cyanobacteria photosynthesize like all plants do and thus produce the oxygen we breath. In nature they can be found almost everywhere from the open ocean, to
Intramural esophageal diverticula
Over five billion dollars are spent annually in the United States to control acid reflux symptoms, such as abdominal and/or chest pains, acid regurgitation, coughing and others. The article by Hubbard and Demos (2016) presents three unusual
How much does abandonment of assistive technology cost Italy’s national health service?
The growing need for assistive technology. World Health Organization estimates that today, more than one billion people need assistive technology (AT). AT include any item, piece of equipment or product, whether it is acquired commercially, modified or
Nails can help detect arterial disease in legs
When insufficient blood supply is delivered to legs is called peripheral artery disease (PAD), which has several stages. Initially it can be asymptomatic but can evolve into gangrene in severe cases. It frequently manifests in the elderly,
Nasogastric tube insertion: the simple yet impossible
Nasogastric tube (NGT) insertion is a common procedure with wide range of indications from elective insertion in a healthy patient undergoing anesthesia for a routine surgery to critically ill comatose patients. It is usually easier to perform
An international team opens new avenues toward PKU therapy
When a baby is born, a simple blood test reveals whether the child has PKU, which is a recessive genetic disorder where the body fails to regulate the amount of phenylalanine (Phe) in blood. Phe is a
