Author Archives: karen
We learn and forget to correct our expectations
Learning and forgetting are, to a large extent, about tuning your expectations so that they match your experience. So while it is usually good to learn new things, we sometimes also need to forget things. We constantly
Parkinsonism Hyperpyrexia Syndrome and Deep Brain Stimulation
Deep Brain Stimulation of the subthalamic nuclei (STN-DBS) represents one of the most effective treatments in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) with unsatisfactory response to pharmacological therapy. STN-DBS is a neurosurgical approach based on the implantation of
How the immune system is regulated by small RNAs called microRNAs to prevent self-attacks leading to autoimmunity
The ability to properly engage the different arms of the immune response is essential for protection from pathogens but also for preventing autoimmune reactions against normal tissue. Central to autoimmune prevention are a class of white blood
Blocking miR-212/132 in T cells is a potential therapy for treating colitis
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which include Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is thought to be caused by aberrant immune response to host intestinal microbiota, leading inflammation in gastrointestinal tract. The symptoms such as diarrhea, rectal bleeding, anemia,
How tree frogs keep their Y chromosomes healthy
Sex chromosomes are the pair of chromosomes that fate whether we become male or female. Females carry two X chromosomes, while males carry one X and one Y chromosome. These chromosomes are quite special among the genome:
Finding new drug targets to prevent heart attacks and strokes
Heart attacks and strokes are responsible for more deaths than any other disease in the world. The underlying cause of most heart attacks and strokes is a disease of the blood vessels called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis involves accumulation
How can we evaluate new advances to see more clearly after cataract surgery?
Cataract, the clouding of the eye’s lens, is a condition that affects a majority of the population 65 years and older, and is one of the most common surgeries performed in the Medicare population. To replace the
A new DNA methylation regulator
CGGBP1 (CGG triplet repeat-binding protein 1) was first identified as a protein that binds unmethylated CGG repeats. It acts as a transcription regulator with target sites at CpG-rich sequences such as CGG repeats and Alu-SINEs (short interspersed
S5nA – a novel group a streptococcal immune evasion factor
Streptococcus pyogenes (aka Group A Streptococcus, GAS) is a pathogenic bacterium that causes disease in humans, ranging from pharyngitis (‘strep throat’) and skin infections to severe invasive diseases, such as necrotizing fasciitis (‘flesh-eating disease) and life-threatening toxic
Mathematicians solve 60-year-old problem
Fermi-Pasta-Ulam chain is a theoretical model of a one dimensional crystal. It consists of point masses connected by nonlinear strings. This model was introduced by Enrico Fermi, John Pasta, Stanislaw Ulam, and Mary Tsingou in 1953, and
Allergic mechanisms of Eosinophilic oesophagitis
The concept of eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) as a food allergy seems foreign to many patients, and even physicians, since EoE does not exhibit the typical symptoms associated with allergic reactions such as hives, swelling, pruritus, wheezing or
A new phase change material for thermal energy storage
The technologies currently used to generate energy through renewable sources such as solar, wind and biomass are still characterized by high costs and insufficient continuity of generation. Such sources will therefore continue to have a secondary role
Can inhaled formoterol be used to prevent hypoglycemia?
Patients with type 1 diabetes need insulin treatment for their survival. However insulin can cause low blood sugar (or hypoglycemia); a major limiting factor for good diabetes control. Hypoglycemia occurs when there is an excess of insulin
Lipids are major players in Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disorder affecting over 36 million people worldwide. Alzheimer’s patients suffer from dementia and memory loss and go through a progressive, irreversible and eventually fatal loss of cognitive functions. When Alois
Why do we conform?
In 1951, Solomon Ash conducted one of the most famous experiments in the history of psychology. He had participants watch confederates judging the length of a line, often obviously incorrect. And yet, when requested to make the
Differences between male and female cyclists’ performances under the acute influence of alcohol
It is well-known that the average man and the average woman possess different performances, which can depend on the demanded task or physical peculiarities, e.g. average body fat resp. muscle mass or average height. If one takes
Active-state of AT1 receptor attenuates inverse agonism of ARBs through changes in specific ligand-receptor interactions
G protein – coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute one of the largest gene superfamilies in the human genome. The angiotensin II ( Ang II ) type 1 receptor ( AT1R ) belongs to G – protein coupled receptor
Keys to unlocking human dopamine D1 receptor signal transduction
Our body organs, such as the brain, are made of different cells that talk to each other by releasing natural chemicals outside the cells. The free chemicals then attach to specialized proteins named receptors, which are anchored
Fatty liver disease: a condition caused by modern day lifestyle
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) refers to the build-up of fat (steatosis) in the liver that occurs in the setting of obesity and/or diabetes. Specifically, other causes such as alcohol excess or drugs or genetic conditions need
Maximising the frog biodiversity surveys in looking at tadpoles
Amphibians are organisms very sensitive to environmental changes such as habitat lost, appearance of new pathogens, pollution and climatic changes among others. Facing these threats efficient conservation plans must be worked out to protect this fauna (as
