Monthly Archives: April 2017
The gods of human T cell development
T cells are the component of the immune system required for recognizing and targeting pathogens and tumor cells. Because each T cell recognizes a different pathogen, the challenge of T cell development is to create a pool
Seminal plasma cytokines: what role do they play in human female reproduction?
The success of artificial insemination with washed sperm and of embryo transfer has demonstrated that pregnancy is achievable without contact with seminal plasma (SP). However, it has become increasingly evident that the physiological changes at implantation are
Virus chainmail: protective and porous metal-organic framework grown on a virus
Biomineralization describes a process of programmable accumulation, concentration, and construction of inorganic ions regulated by organisms to form both amorphous and crystalline materials that possess well–controlled chemical components, microstructures, morphologies, and functionalities. For instance, skeletons and shells
The woody breast condition affects texture characteristics of both raw and cooked chicken breast meat
The wooden breast condition (WBC) is a muscle abnormality observed in chicken breast meat (Pectoralis major) that is an emerging challenge to the poultry industry. Breast meat with the WBC is characterized by diffuse areas of hardness
Text messaging to support physical activity in patients with heart disease
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a disease characterized by accumulation of cholesterol deposits (plaques) in the heart arteries. When these plaques compromise blood flow to the heart muscle, heart attack or chest pain (angina) can occur. Globally,
A strategy to enhance the bioavailability of Rifabutin using Lipid Nanocarriers
Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare ( MAI ) or Mycobacterium avium complex ( MAC ) is the main pulmonary pathogen in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ( COPD ), patients with previously diagnosed tuberculosis and in AIDS patients. The
Engineering S. cerevisiae with the deletion of endogenous glucosidases for the production of flavonoid glucosides
Glycosylation of flavonoids is a promising approach to improve the pharmacokinetic properties and pharmacological activities. However, chemical glycosylation remains restricted by such disadvantages as poor regio- and stereoselectivities, and large-scale application of whole-cell glycosylation is still hampered
Why won’t my doctor scan my brain?
An estimated 16 million people each year go to their doctor because of a headache. Many are concerned that they may have cancer, a stroke or an aneurysm, and request a brain scan. However, most headaches do
The finding of a micropterous new species in a flower-living thrips group species
A new species known only from micropterae, Kakothrips borberae, belongs to genus in which species live in the flowers of Fabaceae, and which is recorded mainly from South Europe or the Mediterranean Region. This new species was
The brain doesn’t navigate quite like a GPS
Neuroscientists’ discovery of grid cells, popularly known as the brain’s GPS, was hailed as a major discovery. But new results suggest the system is more complicated than anyone had guessed. Just like a driver in a car,
Sugar consumption can be reduced by tonic activation of dopamine reward pathway
Rewarding ( pleasurable ) and aversive events give us dissimilar perceptions, which powerfully shape our decisions and therefore behavioral outcomes. In fact, chemical changes, which take place in our brain, are very different under these opposite circumstances.
Dormant Mycobacterium tuberculosis: a quiescent form with an eye open
Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of mortality by a single pathogen in humans. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the etiologic agent of TB, causes millions of new cases each year. TB is an ancient disease and Mtb is
Why and how should we screen injured workers?
Every year, tens of millions of workers suffer accidental injuries leading to general practitioner treatments or hospitalizations. Thus, accidents are frequent and many of the survivors are left with temporary or permanent disabilities. Most accident insurers report
Surgical energy in the contaminated wound: too much of a good thing?
Surgical energy has been widely used since its invention in the early 1900. Today, electrosurgery accounts for 80% of all dissections and hemostasis. For surgical energy we commonly refer to the capability of an electrosurgical unit (ESU)
Rodent cochlear nucleus – the common and the uncommon
Our perception of environmental sounds depends on the function of our ears. Sound vibrations received by each of our two ears are converted to electrical signals in the cochlea part of the inner ear. The electrical signals
New generation of recyclable and rigid heat-shrinkable tubes
Heat-shrinkable tubes (HSTs) can shrink back to original sizes when they are heated to shrinkage temperatures (Ts), and they have been widely used in automobiles, electronics, communications, aircrafts, petroleum, aerospace and so on. Traditional HSTs are made
How bacteria swim
Bacteria are the smallest free-living (self-replicating) organisms. Most swim in aqueous media by rotating flagella, long thin filaments driven at their base by rotary motors. In most cases, the filaments are helical and extend out into the
How will China’s development of wind power contribute to global warming?
As a non-fossil technology, wind power has an enormous advantage over coal because of its role in climate change mitigation. Despite wind power may not be a pure zero-emission technology from the perspective of life cycle emissions,
High efficiency OSCs by simultaneous plasmon-optical and -electrical effects from plasmonic asymmetric modes
Organic solar cells (OSCs) have the advantages of low-cost, non-toxic and easy to scale up etc., which are promising to address the energy issues. However, the OSC efficiency is still low to meet the commercialization criteria. The
Producing cellular transport proteins without cells: a key to study novel molecular targets of malaria parasites
Malaria tropica, the most severe and fatal form of malaria, is caused by mosquito-transmitted, single-celled Plasmodium falciparum parasites. More than 3 billion people in 100 countries live in malaria-endangered areas. Every year, > 200 million new infections
