Monthly Archives: March 2019

Clostridioides difficile infections: what is new in laboratory diagnosis and clinical treatment

Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI) have become a major economic issue from developing countries as well as from the Western World. Early and accurate diagnosis of CDI allows earlier treatment, which can significantly reduce the morbidity, mortality, medical

The silent effects of heart surgery: voice and swallowing

Heart disease is a leading cause of death worldwide. Heart surgeries saves thousands of lives a year but can be lengthy and complex. During surgery, many patients require prolonged periods of intubation and coronary bypass (mechanical support

The destruction of endocrine disruptors in wastewater

In Canada, endocrine disruptors are a very topical issue in wastewater effluent quality. We define endocrine disruptors as chemicals that can interfere with the endocrine or hormone systems in wildlife and humans. Results can vary from different

Lernaean hydra puzzle in compensatory angiogenesis and tumor drug resistance

Diagrammatic representation of how compensatory angiogenic mechanisms are driven by redendent proangiogenic signalling

Before we proceed to apply the analogy of Lernaean hydra to compensatory angiogenesis and tumor drug resistance against anti-angiogenic drugs (AADs), let us have a cursory look at the interesting mythology of this hydra. According to Greek

Floating oils can be submerged in water with granular particles as encapsulated oil sacks

Formation of tightly packed encapsulation observed with both medium sand

The particle stabilized liquid interfaces in liquid droplets and encapsulation of liquids with nano particles are used in industrial applications such as ink jet for printing and fertilizers. Applications with much larger drops of hydrophobic liquids ranging

Genetics, human metabolism and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Relationship between genetype, phenothype and diet in the NAFLD context

Advancement in technology has introduced a new era of genetic investigation: the so called next-generation sequencing. This innovative approach has allowed to extend the study of our genome and has led to the identification of numerous variants

How war and torture affect people

At any point in time, there are hundreds if not thousands of armed conflicts throughout the world. These include wars between and among countries, civil wars, wars against and between militias or guerrillas, and wars against and

A drug resistance gene mediates stringent response in bacteria

Model for physiological roles of M. smegmatis Arr

Mycobacteria represent an important group of bacteria. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), infects about a third of the world population, of which 5% to 15% develop active disease. Furthermore, a rapid emergence of multidrug

Look ma, no air

link between aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration

Until recently, it has been conventional thinking that mammals cannot live without oxygen. This has been challenged by studies demonstrating survival of mole rats without oxygen for extended periods of time. The ability of mammalian cells to

The synthetic cannabinoid XLR-11 and the impaired control of mitochondrial function by the endocannabinoid system as its underlying mechanism of nephrotoxicity

mitochondrial function by the endocannabinoid system

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) comprise a diverse group of new psychoactive substances (NPS) designed to activate at least one of the main cannabinoid receptors (i.e. CB1R, CB2R). Variations of SC have rapidly surfaced over the past few years,

How can writing help with mental health?

How can writing help with mental health

Posted by Sully Davis Over the years, many positive attributes have been connected to writing, whether it’s just keeping a diary or writing on interesting stuff. Of course, those who are mostly involved in college research papers and

How salt hate your bones: the nexus between high dietary salt intake and bone loss

High dietary salt intake induces bone loss by enhancing bone lethal Th17 cells and suppressing bone protecting Treg cells.

Osteoporosis weaken bones making them fragile and highly susceptible to fractures due to reduction in bone mass via depletion of bone minerals. This leads to higher incidences of fractures many folds responsible for enhanced morbidity and mortality.

Developing attention networks in children with different temperaments

Brain Networks of Attention

Attention Networks Brain imaging has provided a great window on how networks of neural areas develop from birth through adulthood. The infant comes to control the waking state during the early months of life. During waking periods

Cryptosporidium and Giardia detection: Microscopy to genetic signature based methods

Cryptosporidium and Giardia are the most commonly occurring enteric protozoan parasites. These pathogens can cause gastrointestinal diseases that may lead to nutritional imbalances and severe health problems. The severity of disease is most often seen among children

Fatal asthma, thunderstorms and grass pollen

Pathogenesis of thunderstorm asthma

More than a dozen epidemics of thunderstorm-related acute severe asthma have been reported in past 3 decades. The largest event occurred in Melbourne Australia (October 2016) affected more than 8,000 individuals and resulted in ten deaths. This

Observing marine plastic litter from space, a supporting model

Reflectance spectra of high-density polyethylene

There is growing global concern over the plastics pollution of our oceans and the many unanswered questions about its sources, sinks, pathways and impacts. Remote sensing (RS), the science of obtaining information about objects or areas from

Cardiac autonomic neuropathy: Risk factors, diagnosis and treatment

Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) that is strongly associated with approximately five-fold increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. CAN manifests in a spectrum of things, ranging from resting tachycardia and fixed

Under pressure: a stem cell’s journey home

A Stem Cell’s Journey Home

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves breathing in pure oxygen at an air pressure three times higher than atmospheric pressure. This allows more oxygen to enter the lungs, dissolve into the circulation, and ultimately reach cells. The future

Leptomeningeal metastasis in lung cancer

Leptomeningeal metastasis is the spread of cancer cells to the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord as well as the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This occurs in 3-5% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the

Body composition and left ventricular hypertrophy in athletes: the role of body cell mass

Body composition and left ventricular hypertrophy in athletes

Cardiac adaptation to intense physical training is determined by many factors including age, lifestyle, body size, training load, ethnicity and sex. Females show a lower cardiac mass than males, the main causes are a lower blood volume