Yearly Archives: 2016
Versatile fabrication for aerogels by freezing and subsequent freeze-drying of nanoparticle solutions
Aerogels are fascinating materials because they are lightweight, highly porous and exhibit huge surface areas. They consist of more than 99% air, while the rest is a well interconnected network of small inorganic or organic particles or
Is surgical treatment effective for different forms of spinal cord compression?
Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM) is the most common cause of injury to the spinal cord in the elderly population worldwide and, with an aging population globally, it is likely to become even more common. As such, a
Assessment of hand hygiene techniques
Hand hygiene is the most important to prevent the spread of infections associated with health care among patients tool. Wash hands using 5 moments recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) with the patient now it seems
Sugammadex, a reversal of the neuromuscular blocker rocuronium has no effect on the depth of anaesthesia
Neuromuscular blockers are drugs given during general anaesthesia to facilitate the anaesthetists’ and surgeons manoeuvres, like relaxation of the vocal cords and relaxation of the abdominal muscles. These drugs do not spare the respiratory muscles impairing so
Water on the brain? Putting the “Hydro” on the “Cephalus”
Hydrocephalus, in the most basic sense, means an increased amount of fluid in the spaces of the brain. This fluid is specifically called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with “cerebro” referring to brain and “spinal” referring to the spinal
Improving the care of lung cancer patients who need major surgery
We report the impact of several factors on procedure times for major lung surgery for cancer, focusing on staff turnover within the surgical team. We propose a new definition of surgical team turnover which allows us to
Uncovering the microRNA landscape in the crop pest nematode Meloidogyne incognita
Plant-parasitic nematodes are small roundworms that predominantly feed on roots and cause crop yield losses. The root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita is among the most damaging pests of several crops including cotton, tomato, and soybean. The infective stage
Does the ethnomedicinal uses of the sour plum tree correlate with its ethnopharmacological properties?
Ximenia caffra Sond. (Fig. 1), commonly referred to as “sour plum” is a common and popular medicinal and fruit tree in the dryland zone in central, eastern and southern Africa. The generic name ‘Ximenia’ commemorates a Spanish
Nonadherence to immunosuppressive therapy in kidney transplant recipients
End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is an increasing worldwide illness that compels patients to accept either dialysis or kidney transplantation that is the best choice because ensures high quality of life. But, living or cadaveric kidney donation is
Uncovering ancient Ashkenaz – the birthplace of Yiddish speakers
The origin of the Yiddish language (spoken at least since the 9th century A.D.), and consequently Yiddish speakers, has been debated for the past several centuries, mainly between linguists. While the Rhineland hypothesis suggests a German origin,
HIV/AIDS-associated tryptophan depletion as part of the influence of inflammatory mediators on general nutritional status
The essential amino acid tryptophan cannot be synthesised in the body and must be acquired through dietary intake. Tryptophan is an important substrate for protein synthesis and for synthesis of the neuroactive substances serotonin, melatonin and tryptamine.
A tug-of-war helps shape membranes inside human cells
Imagine if you had to construct an intricate factory consisting of layered platforms interconnected with long tubes, using Lego pieces. The task would become more complex if this assembly would have to be periodically dismantled and rapidly
Polar bears and flame retardant chemicals as environmental pollutants
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are man-made chemicals that were used on many industrial and consumer products to reduce fire risk. The commercial PBDE mixture that was used extensively in North America for application to polyurethane foam, textiles
Using electrochemistry to address current needs in micro imaging
When one thinks of microscopy, usually imagined is something like a compound optical light microscope, which dates back before the 1600’s. For hundreds of years following, the optical microscope has served the scientific community by helping visualize
Understanding asthma using the maths of the stock markets
To unpack the wealth of results emerging from a massive seven-year study of several hundred people with severe asthma, researchers in Southampton and Portsmouth are turning to the mathematics of the financial trading markets. Asthma is a
Psoriasis: New treatments can completely clear the rash
Psoriasis is a very common skin disease that affects around 3.2% of adults in the US. People with psoriasis develop itchy and often chronic rashes that can be difficult to treat. Psoriasis can be a debilitating disease
Cultured macrophages help predict lung toxicity of inhaled nanoparticles
Many small particles of industrial or occupational origin are believed to infer an inflammatory or otherwise toxic potential to human health upon inhalation. Knowledge on this issue is especially important for the very small nanoparticles, which measure
Clinical evolution and payment revolution: The future of psychology in healthcare
Health reform has ushered in the dawn of a new era for mental health. For decades, mental health has functioned as a separate and distinct service that operates in relative isolation from other sectors of the healthcare
Deaf people are more likely to be left-handed – unless they are also signers
The hand that we prefer to use – the right or the left one – speaks about how our brain is organized. For example, if we are strongly right-handed (i.e., we prefer the right hand for almost
Prior authorization for child and adolescent psychiatric patients deemed to be in need of inpatient psychiatric admission
Four million children and adolescents in the US suffer from a serious mental disorder that causes significant functional impairments at home, at school and with peers. In youth, many of these disorders can have life-long deleterious effects.
