Author Archives: karen
Prevention of congenital heart anomalies: the secret kept by embryonic stem cells
CITED2 is a transcriptional modulator involved in the regulation of the expression of many other genes in vertebrates. At very early stages of embryo development, CITED2 is particularly important for heart formation, a process also termed cardiogenesis.
DFT for designing efficient supercapacitor electrode materials
Josef MacDouall once said “Chemistry is a game that electrons play”. If one were able to know the roles, they could control the game and uncover the mysteries of materials, which are the backbone of our modern
When will my mouse die?
The maintenance of health is ensured by the function of the three homeostatic systems of the body: the nervous, endocrine and immune systems, and by the net that allows crosstalk between them: the neuroimmunoendocrine communication. With aging,
The olive fruit fly is never alone! Can its bacterial symbionts be useful in managing this olive pest?
The notion of individual has changed trough time, and truly, we are never alone as most organisms are entangled in symbioses. As first used in 1879 by Anton de Bary, symbiosis refers to close, long-term associations between
Stimulating nursing students’ interest in community care through curriculum-redesign
Despite increased healthcare extramuralisation, related to increased elderly patients living at home, most nursing students still see the hospital as career favourite. This is problematic, because of the widespread labour-market shortages in community care in many Western
Rapid monitoring of the impact of polymicrobial infections using electrochemical sensors
The development of bacterial infections is a major challenge as pathogenic bacteria spread through healthcare facilities where patients may come in contact with complex bacterial communities heavily colonizing on hospital surfaces. These bacteria cause internal and external
Autophagy suppression decreases craniofacial bone mass
Macroautophagy (hereafter autophagy) is the main intracellular degradation mechanism to maintain cellular homeostasis by degrading misfolded proteins, recycling dysfunctional organelles, and generating energy fuels under physiological and pathological conditions. Autophagy consists of two major steps: autophagosome formation,
Novel genetics approach identifies GNAS gene as an important prerequisite for β-cell secretory capacity
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a major health burden in developing and industrialized countries (www.idf.org). Common genetic variations, susceptibility genes, epigenetic regulation, and miRNAs have been suggested to be profoundly involved in the pathogenicity of T2D.
Biodrying. A novel technology to treat organic wastes
Different reuse pathways for sewage sludge (SS) produced in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and other organic waste exist, such as its direct application as agronomic soil or with a previous composting process to enhance the agronomic qualities
Soil and water bioengineering – Sustainable erosion solutions for the Mediterranean
Accelerated soil erosion and loss is a serious environmental problem, particularly for the Mediterranean region, due to its long history of human pressures, seasonally contrasting climate and rugged topography. Anthropogenic activities such as agriculture, deforestation, urbanization and
Satiated macrophages produce interferon-beta to orchestrate the resolution of bacterial infection
Acute inflammation is a localized, self-limited host defense mechanism against invading microorganism and tissue injury. Rapid recruitment of white blood cells called neutrophils (polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes) from the blood to the site of infection or injury is
Reuse of third generation industrial waste
As global consumption of finite raw materials continues to rise, so too does the amount of waste produced. In Europe for example, each citizen consumes an average of 15 tonnes of raw materials and produces on average
Duloxetine: a promising perioperative analgesic
Duloxetine is a dual serotonin-norepinephrine receptor inhibitor that is commonly used as an antidepressant. This drug has traditionally been used for chronic pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia and back pain, showing positive recovery outcomes. Given these analgesic
Turning on neuronal gene programs in prostate cancer cells
Cancer of the prostate gland is a common malignancy afflicting males worldwide. This cancer is the second deadliest amongst male in United States, with most of the mortality resulting from aggressive, advanced stage, metastatic disease. Prostate cancer
Mesenchymal stem cells for treating knee osteoarthritis
Cartilage in the knee does not heal very well nor very quickly, so continued use of the leg when walking for example can result in further damage, bony projections (osteophytes), stiffening and swelling of the joint (Fig.
How to choose excitation wavelength for quantum-dot-converted light-emitting diodes?
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are fundamental devices for backlights and displays. Nowadays, three different-color epitaxial chips are mainly applied in an RGB pixel: Blue, green, and red LED chips. However, it is difficult to further improve the color
Exploring the potential of a pneumococcal vaccine to target oxidized LDL in metabolic disease patients
Lipid metabolism involves a wide range of processes in which lipids are processed and used as energy sources, signaling molecules and structural elements of cells. Given its importance, dysfunctions in lipid metabolism, both small and large, can
A tale of pesticide use, resistance and the urge for One-Health
Edible olives and the production of olive oil dates to 5000 BC and, nowadays, it is estimated to occupy an area of 10.2 million hectares. More than 90% of the total area is in the Mediterranean Basin.
Siloxanes in consumer products affect energy recovery costs at biogas-to-energy facilities
Volatile methyl siloxanes (VMS) are man-made compounds containing silicon and oxygen with organic side groups (typically methyl groups) attached to the silicon atoms. Siloxanes can have linear (denoted by L or M nomenclature) and cyclic (denoted by
Gastrointestinal stromal tumor transition to KIT-independence is enabled by a Cyclin D1 dependent proliferation program
Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is the most common mesenchymal tumor of the gastrointestinal tract. GISTs generally contain oncogenic gain-of-function KIT (~85%) or PDGFRA (~5-10%) mutations which are crucial for GIST proliferation and survival, as underscored by the
