Yearly Archives: 2017
Deciphering plant immunity against parasites
A research group at University Bonn uncovers how plants detect and defeat parasitic worms. Nematodes are a huge threat to agriculture since they parasitize important crops such as wheat, soybean, and banana; but plants can defend themselves.
Prostate-specific antigen 1.5: The new screening protocol
Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in American men. Tragically, once the disease is spread beyond the prostate gland, therapies become very limited and survival is poor. Like other cancers, prostate cancer can recur
Unusual structure of aggregates formed by the fragment of Аβ(16-25) peptide
By the moment, a large number of proteins and peptides, polymerization of which in fibril formations leads to emergence of different diseases (amyloidosis), have been identified. But it is not always that fibril formations are toxic for
Proofread or Perish: Editing your scientific writing for successful publication
Perhaps the consequences of neglecting to proofread and edit scientific writing may not be quite as catastrophic as my heading implies, but viewed from a perspective focussed on successful publication, they can be most unpleasant and are
Is inversion symmetry of chromosomes a law of nature?
Chargaff has made, in 1950, the important observation that the numbers of nucleotides in DNA satisfy #A=#T and #G=#C. This played a crucial role in realizing that DNA has a two strand structure with base-pair bindings (of
A novel deep learning-based method for predicting RNA-protein interactions
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) take over 5–10% of the eukaryotic proteome and regulate the gene localization and translation. On the other hand, the mutations in RBPs have been discovered to be associated with disease risk, such as FUS
Will exposure of irritant chemicals to the eye lead to adverse systemic outcome?
Eye is a delicate and highly vascularized organ. It captures visible light and converts it into sensory inputs with the aid of the retina and central nervous system subsequently giving rise to vision. Any chemical or drug
Synergistic effects of orally delivered cannabis constituents (THC and CBDA) in reducing nausea
Although ∆9 – tetrahydrocannabinol ( THC ), the only psychoactive component in cannabis, is effective in reducing the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy treatment, the anti – nausea effects of combining THC with other components from
Measuring postural transitions using wearables
Postural transitions i.e. the way which we stand up or sit down are complex motor tasks that can be used to measure physical function. Currently these transitions, which can be classified as sit-to-stand (SiSt) or stand-to-sit (StSi),
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.
