Author Archives: karen
Cultured macrophages help predict lung toxicity of inhaled nanoparticles
Many small particles of industrial or occupational origin are believed to infer an inflammatory or otherwise toxic potential to human health upon inhalation. Knowledge on this issue is especially important for the very small nanoparticles, which measure
Deaf people are more likely to be left-handed – unless they are also signers
The hand that we prefer to use – the right or the left one – speaks about how our brain is organized. For example, if we are strongly right-handed (i.e., we prefer the right hand for almost
The apothecary inside us
New drugs might be found right under our noses or, more precisely, in our guts as we learn more about the ways metabolites from intestinal bacteria modulate human metabolic and immunity pathways. Our recently published paper in
From famine to feast: cells can adapt to nutritional changes
Sometimes we have mostly vegetables, at other times, meat; sometimes we eat much, at other times, little. Our diet can be quite changeable. This is all the more true for animals, which need to content themselves with
Fruit flies become disabled prior to death
Disability among the elderly costs the U. S. healthcare systems billions of dollars each year. Much of this cost is experienced in the months and years before death. While it is clear we cannot avoid death, perhaps
Application of the fungicide kresoxim-methyl prior to drought and salinity stress imposition enhances the ability of plants to survive
Plants are exposed to multiple environmental stresses ( e. g. drought, salinity ), resulting in major yield losses in modern agriculture. Drought and salinity are the two major abiotic threats for plant production and potentially food security.
Folic acid supplementation in pregnancy does not prevent preterm birth
Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin of the B group. Data from observational studies showed that folic acid, which is commonly used to prevent neural tube defects, may have a role in the prevention of pregnancy complications
Transcranial magnetic stimulation for treatment of tinnitus
Millions of people experience tinnitus – the perception of ringing or other sounds in the ears/head that does not have an external source. The most common cause of tinnitus is damage to/degeneration of auditory structures because of
‘Resurrection plants’, our ticket to crop drought tolerance?
The loss of crops or decrease in crop yields due to drought has been and still is a major natural disaster, resulting in multiple devastating humanitarian and environmental impacts. This is becoming prevalent in almost every inhabited
Cerebral herniation into the sigmoid sinus: A newly-realized cause of epilepsy
Epilepsy is a chronic disorder characterized by recurrent seizures, which may vary from a brief period of lapse of attention or muscle jerks, to severe and prolonged convulsions. The seizures are caused by sudden, usually brief, excessive
Nanostructure makes crystalline compound physically reactive
Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) belongs to a class of crystalline compounds with layered structure: it consists of parallel honeycomb layers, in which hexagons vertices are alternatively occupied by boron (B) and nitrogen (N) atoms. Intra-layer bonds between
A capillaroscopy based method to help prediction of Systemic Sclerosis onset
Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is a rare systemic disease, characterized by immune system alterations and diffused microvascular disruption, followed by fibrosis of skin and internal organs, and Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) is often the first clinical manifestation of the
Vitamin E helps protect healthy fats critical for brain development
During development, the brain requires more oxygen than any other organ – about 60% of the total oxygen consumed by a growing fetus is used to support the high metabolic demands of neurodevelopment. This means the developing
Potassium in dental plaque, an old story with a new perspective
Dental plaque or biofilm is home to caries causing bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans. Interestingly, the fluid in the biofilm is like an aqueous reservoir of material shared between different species. Although the fluid content is derived
Understanding the dog model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Animal models are indispensible in the development of novel therapies. A clear understanding of the model itself is essential before the model is used in research. This means we need to know every aspect of the model
A new paradigm for asthma management
What does Dr. Weinberger mean by needing a new paradigm for managing asthma? A paradigm is essentially a way of thinking about a problem and a method for doing something about that problem. And we do have
Imperforate hymen in a sixteen-month-old child
The hymen is a solid membrane located at the entrance into the vagina. The most common form is the annular hymen with one central opening. However, there are several other variations such as the microperforate hymen, hymen
Pollution may impair water, food, ecosystems, health and livelihoods
Trace/heavy metals are cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), uranium (U), and Zinc (Zn). Metals pollution can be caused by direct discharge of effluents from
Stellar dinosaurs in the prehistory of the Solar System
Prehistoric dinosaurs and the time when they were roaming the Earth have been discovered thanks to the bones we find and their radioactive content. In the same way, stars that lived before the formation of the Solar
Collagen V2.0: A system for re-engineering human type II collagen
Collagen is the main structural component in animals, making up approximately 30% of the total protein in our bodies. Collagen is an integral component of skin, tendon, bones, cartilage, and the placenta. Modern methods in cell biology
