Author Archives: karen
It’s time to leave the wilderness
Child Neurologists are the specialists who take care of children with diseases of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles. Some of those conditions include epilepsy, migraine, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and autism. Child Neurology was recognized
Dining at extraordinary locations: new species of bacteria on fatty diet
Birds are among the most popular organisms on earth. Their majestic appearance, lovely songs as well as the ability to fly have always thrilled people making them one of the most thoroughly investigated classes of the animal
Erythrocytes, not leukocytes, clear bacteria from blood circulation
After discovery of phagocytosis by Elie Metchnikoff in 1882, it has become an axiom that in human body white blood cells (leukocytes) are the main cells that engulf and destroy bacteria and other pathogens. But until recently, there has
Body weight and age may predict severity of obstructive sleep apnea in children
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children is a common clinical problem that causes obstruction to breathing during sleep. Affecting one in ten children, the growing prevalence of this problem has attracted national attention. The hallmark of OSA
The relationship between clinical and standardised tests for hand-arm vibration syndrome
Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), previously known as vibration white finger, may be difficult to diagnose. It manifests in two forms – vascular with blanching of the fingers or sensorineural with tingling, numbness and loss of dexterity of
Ovarian cancer. Silent and deadly
Ovarian cancer is relatively uncommon but it is extremely deadly. For example, there are approximately 210,000 new cases of breast cancer every year in the United States and nearly 40,000 women die. In contrast, there are about
Superhydrophobic plasma separator for point-of-care diagnostics
Blood is a complex, heterogeneous fluid containing red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma. Blood is a mirror of health and disease since it contains numerous diagnostic biomarkers that are indicators of infectious diseases, cancer,
Combining discrete and continuous for a clever multiscale modelling
There is rarely a process in physical, biological or chemical sciences that spans a single time or length scale. Computational methods must be chosen accordingly when modeling such processes. For instance, ab initio quantum-mechanical calculations or molecular
Fecal microbial transplantation: a novel approach to eradicate antibiotic-resistant gut bacteria
The discovery of antibiotics in the early 20th century had an enormous impact on modern medicine, dramatically reducing mortality associated with infections. However, the emergence of drug – resistant pathogens has occurred due to greater availability and
A simple assay to measure phosphatidylethanolamine methyltransferase activity
Enzymes are proteins that help chemical reactions to occur within cells and thus, they are essential to their life and function. They produce most of the molecules found in cells, and are classified by their function and
Advanced technology in the cath lab: CT, VR, robots, and 3D printing
Precision medicine or “personalized medicine” is poised to become a cornerstone of future medical diagnostics and therapies. The idea is to use a patient’s own information to create treatments that are tailored to them specifically. This type
Behavioral detection of nicotine via cigarette smoking
Perceiving nicotine’s effects in the brain (i.e. interoceptive stimulus effects) helps explain why one billion people worldwide enjoy tobacco smoking and, perhaps, why repeated smoking leads a smoker to becoming dependent on tobacco. Such effects are typically
The challenge and impact of engaging hard-to-reach men in regular physical activity and health behaviours
Men from hard-to-reach populations frequently report poor health statistics and have therefore been highlighted as a particular area of concern for men’s health practitioners and professionals.It has been argued that participation in regular physical activity and engagement
How plants survive during drought seasons? Polyphenols: the natural antioxidants
The earth has a variety of ecosystems. One of them is the semiarid regions characterized by seasonal rainfalls and long periods of drought. The native plants species of these environments have the ability to survive and maintain
Potential new therapy for painful bladder syndrome with a pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin
Painful bladder syndrome, also called interstitial cystitis, is a painful debilitating chronic bladder disease that primarily affects 40-60 year old women. Women of all races, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds are susceptible to the disease. The symptoms include
New account of wetting phenomena at the nanoscale
Can you think of any very smooth surface in nature or in the man-made objects surrounding you? How about a glass window? Glass is smooth, right? very smooth? Well in reality standard glass substrates, and any other
Genes on or off! How regulatory DNA variations disrupt the balance of P53 and cMYC binding
Identification of causative DNA variants in common complex diseases is very important to screen individuals with high-risk for diseases and for developing therapies to target the genetic cause of diseases, in particular cancer. DNA variations that lie
New advances in the classification of diabetes beyond type 1 and 2: monogenic diabetes
The classification of diabetes has become increasingly complex in recent years, particularly in young patients, and now goes beyond the traditional forms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, which is linked to the
The German Health Insurance System: How can we prepare for the future?
Currently, there is a lot of discussion in Germany on the increasing role economic factors play in health care. What are the consequences, for example, of health insurance funds that have to work cost effective, of hospitals
Fluorescence color changes from purple to blue via orange during the solvent evaporative crystallization
The process of crystal formation from solutions is an important subject in fundamental science and also the fabrication of pharmaceuticals, food, polymers and organic solid materials, but remains controversial. In solution crystallization, the formation of crystal nuclei
