Yearly Archives: 2016
Connective tissue that changes stiffness under nervous control
When you keep raising your hand, your muscles will soon get tired. What if your skin stiffens in the raised position？You can let your muscles relax and still your hand maintains the raised posture. This is what
A vital sign for the mind
Movies, television shows and the daily news will oftentimes depict people in severe states of drinking or drug behaviors, illustrating the depravity of this problem. It is more dramatic to show victims of these addictions in advance
How to lower a risk of being bitten to the face by a dog
Dogs are the most popular pets. They are used for guarding, hunting, and many other purposes. Additionally, dogs are ideal human companions. However, the mutually beneficial relationships between people and dogs are sometimes overshadowed by bites. Among
When a sniffle is torture
“To me it seemed like minutes, but it was only seconds. I started grabbing my hair, shaky, my head was overwhelmed. By the next action of the foil being pulled back and the next carrot crunch, BANG,
Schistosomiasis infection: is it really diagnosed?
Schistosomiasis, also known as Bilharziazis, has been and remains one of the most common parasitic diseases worldwide. It affects millions of people in the developing world, mainly in Africa. In 1999, the WHO estimated schistosmiasis as the
Pancreatic cancer and innovative treatment: the seeming paradox to block the immune response
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the 5th leading cause of cancer‐related death in the developed world with more than 260,000 annual deaths worldwide and with a dismal 5‐year survival (5%). The lethality of pancreatic cancer is due to
Hormesis: umbrella mechanism only for agents present in the environment
Hormesis is a concept of biphasic dose-response to toxicological and pharmacological stimuli. According to this concept, a harmful factor at a small dose can exert a beneficial action. Among the known hormetic agents are numerous chemical substances
How tree frogs keep their Y chromosomes healthy
Sex chromosomes are the pair of chromosomes that fate whether we become male or female. Females carry two X chromosomes, while males carry one X and one Y chromosome. These chromosomes are quite special among the genome:
Advantages of using pectoralis major fascia in rhinoplasty
Fascia is frequently used in rhinoplasty, both in primary cases and in revision rhinoplasty cases. There are several reasons for using fascia in rhinoplasty: fascia is resistant to infection, has a good survival rate, and is easy
Neurothekeomas, uncommon benign tumors of peripheral nerve
Neurothekeomas are uncommon benign neoplasms with a peripheral nerve sheath origin. This tumor usually involves dermis and is described as a small, solitary, slow growing and reddish to flesh-colored nodule or papule. Neurothekeoma preferentially affects the central aspect of
Fungal burden in waste industry: an occupational risk to be solved
Waste management is a source of airborne microorganisms and their associated compounds (bioaerosols) in the waste facilities’ air. Bioaerosol exposure can lead to several pathologies, hence additional monitoring should be performed to evaluate the effectiveness of implemented
Measles – a killer disease that can be eliminated but how will we know when we are getting close?
With increased measles immunisation coverage, there has been a dramatic global reduction in childhood deaths and measles cases. The World Health Assembly has endorsed a target of achieving measles elimination in at least five of the six
A force behind signal propagation in the brain
Cognitive functions require signal propagation in the brain, i.e., signals propagating via spike trains (at a timescale of milliseconds) in a brain structural network where the nodes and links are individual neurons and synapses, respectively. During a
Doctors’ interpretation of the electrocardiogram is shockingly bad – time for an electrified solution!
The electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the oldest medical devices still in modern use. It is critically important in the recognition of potentially life-threatening heart disease such as heart attack and abnormal heart rhythms. These conditions can
Can use of a vacuum dressing reduce postoperative complications in dogs and cats?
Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is a therapeutic technique which uses a vacuum dressing to promote wound healing. An adhesive sealed dressing is used connected to an adjustable vacuum source which allows the controlled application of sub-atmospheric
Fragments of erythrocyte membranes are not only able to stop the bleeding, but also are able to prevent the spread of thrombosis
Red blood cells (RBCs), also called erythrocytes, are the most common type of blood cell and principal means of delivering oxygen to body tissues. Human erythrocytes develop from stem cells into mature erythrocytes in about 7 days. When matured, in a healthy individual these
The new technique for reduction of bilateral mandibular dislocation
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dislocation is an unusual presentation to the emergency department (ED) and may occur in up to 5% of the population during their lifetime. Anterior dislocation is the most common type seen in clinical practice.
How to tell if your losing too much hair
Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is the most common form of hair loss in women and reduces quality of life for sufferers. It is characterised macroscopically by hair loss and balding on the mid-frontal scalp and microscopically
Palliative treatment of superior vena cava syndrome with use of stent
Superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome is a clinical diagnosis that is caused by compromised venous blood return from the head and upper extremities due to compression and obstruction of the SVC. Respiratory distress, dysphagia, swelling of the
A way to a man’s (or women’s) kidney is through the stomach
Kidney cancer can be difficult to diagnose. A biopsy may be needed. Kidney biopsy is usually taken by passing a needle from the outside of the patient into the kidney. The needle is passed from the patient’s
