Yearly Archives: 2017
Cases of trephination in ancient Armenia skulls
Trepanation of the cranial vault, one of the most intriguing paleoneurosurgical techniques. Trepanation has garnered intense interest, because it represents an early form of cranial surgery practiced well before the advent of modern medicine. Trepanning seems to
Are there genetically modified animals in the supermarket?
Animal breeders have used selective breeding, a form of directed evolution, since animals were first domesticated. Using this approach, individual animals are chosen to be parents of the next generation because they exhibit a desirable trait or
Fabrication of magnetic activated carbon as a new adsorbent for ultrasonic assisted magnetic solid phase dispersive extraction of bisphenol A from milk
Bisphenol A (BPA), is an organic chemical compound that has been widely used as a monomer in the manufacturing of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, in thermal paper production and as an additive in the formation of
Can vitamin E protect cells from persistent organochlorine contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls?
Many toxic substances, mostly man-made, are present and widespread in our environment. Eventually they become a part of the food chain — e.g. pesticide residues, veterinary drugs and pharmaceuticals, contaminating substances originating from industrial processes – heavy
How its great therapeutic potential can finally be realized
Fibrinolysis refers to the body’s natural defense system against blood clots, which are made principally of a protein called fibrin. “Lysis” is the Greek word for dissolving, therefore, dissolving fibrin clots. Fibrinolysis is needed because clots are
A stone during pregnancy – more painful than childbirth
Kidney or ureter stones in pregnancy are a major health concern and are one of the most common causes for abdominal pain in pregnant women. Stones may lead to a blocked kidney, kidney infection which may spread
Could accelerated physical therapy after hip and knee replacement get patients home sooner?
The joint replacement procedures total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are among the most effective surgical procedures in modern medicine. In the United States the number of THA procedures is projected to increase 174%
Occupational causation of sarcoidosis
Sarcoidosis is an uncommon disorder of unknown cause characterized by widespread granulomas, a distinctive tissue response resembling that caused by tuberculosis. A number of articles have appeared within the past few years inferring occupational causation based on
Why are skeletal muscles not depleted of energy during intense exercise?
ATP is a universal carrier of energy in a form easily accessible for different reactions in the cell. Its hydrolysis to ADP and Pi (inorganic phosphate) drives processes that cannot occur spontaneously and require energy, for instance
Time to switch? Switching from innovator rituximab to biosimilar CT-P10 is safe and efficacious
Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody that targets the CD20 protein that is found mainly on immune cells called B lymphocytes. By removing CD20-positive B lymphocytes from the peripheral blood and bone marrow, rituximab provides effective treatment for
Non-canonical Wnt signaling and aortic valve stenosis
Even with the countless drugs we have to treat cardiovascular diseases, the majority of these diseases remain without a cure. Aortic valve stenosis (AVS) is one of these diseases, characterized by the narrowing of the aortic valve
p38α MAP kinase inhibition in atherosclerosis – a new therapeutic tool?
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Selective recruitment of monocytes into the arterial intima and their transformation into macrophage-derived foam cells is one of the earliest events in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Foam
Why is the transcription factor Pax8 necessary for a functional thyroid gland?
By controlling the synthesis and secretion of thyroid hormones, the endocrine thyroid gland plays an important role in governing organismal development and metabolic homeostasis. The structural and functional unit of the thyroid gland is the thyroid follicle,
Hot or Not – The Heat Shock Factor1 (HSF1) is essential for Candida albicans cellular functioning
The opportunistic human pathogen, Candida albicans hinges on the heat shock factor-1 (HSF1), a client protein of the well-established heat shock chaperone (protein folding helper), HSP90 for proficiently modulating thermal stress response. In addition to its implications
Long-term safety and efficacy of rituximab biosimilar CT-P10 in rheumatoid arthritis
Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody used to treat certain cancers of the blood, as well as immune-mediated diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. But while rituximab is effective, it is also expensive, which means that not everyone who
The Oriental Region: the last frontier paradise for black flies
The Oriental Region is perhaps the last frontier paradise explored by black flies. It is shown by the comparison of the fauna of black flies in the Oriental Region, which is relatively young and rich, with those
9th World Biomarkers Congress. Madrid, Spain. December 07-08, 2017
World Biomarkers 2017 is organized around the theme: “A New Era of Diagnosis and Clinical Research”. World biomarkers, in the hands of clinical investigators, provide a dynamic and powerful approach to understanding the spectrum of diseases with
Developmental metaplasticity in cortical codes of firing and structure
Cortical plasticity, underlying the brain’s ability to change, has been largely viewed in two separate contexts: early development, governed largely by genetics, and later adaptation, governed largely by experience. Age-related cortical degradation is yet another aspect of
Leptin can contribute to evaluate cardiometabolic risks in healthy obese population
Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of cardiometabolic complications and it is proportional to the degree of obesity and, more specifically, the accumulation of visceral fat. The excessive accumulation of fat in adipocytes cells
How social changes affect community robustness more than resource depletion
Understanding human- environmental interactions and feedbacks is a key challenge in today fast pacing world where climate is dramatically changing and profound socio-economic transformations are ongoing. While these changes affect the humankind, they have more severe effects
