Author Archives: karen
More reasons to appreciate the Golden Spice “saffron”
Cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and death worldwide. What is even worse is that the number of new cancer cases is projected to massive increase which would probably make it the first cause of death
A new test of face discrimination
For most of us, a brief glimpse of a face is enough to judge someone’s age, gender, ethnic background and to know whether or not that face is familiar. That we are so good at discriminating between
How fat is a cell?
Cells have characteristic sizes in different tissues from big cells like muscle cells to small cells like platelets. How is the size of a cell programmed? The answer is we don’t know. But we do know something
Resting state fMRI analysis using sparse dictionary learning in SPM framework
Brain always be active even people are in rest. In the resting period, it has been observed that particular groups of brain region are always co-activated. These regions are functionally connected each other and each group is
A possible new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and stroke using nanoparticles
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and stroke are two neurological disorders that share the common feature of neuronal death. The peptide under investigation here is IRL-1620, which has been shown in previous studies to reverse neuronal death as well
Ultrasounds for heart infections can be reduced by following simple rules
Staphylococcus aureus bacteria often cause severe bloodstream infections, called Staph aureus bacteremia (SAB). Once Staph aureus enters the bloodstream it can spread to the heart and cause an infection of the heart valves called infective endocarditis (IE).
Specialised vesicle proteins which reduce the development of bacterial lung injury
Lung injury can occur from many stimuli including bacteria, asbestos and trauma. Injury occurs following breakdown of the barrier which lines blood vessels in the lungs. This breakdown forms gaps in lung vessels through which fluid and
What sex will it be? And why?
For millennia, pregnant women (and their partners) have wondered what sex the baby will be. Many parents wish for sons, especially as first-borns. Methods to achieve this have included tying off the left testicle, drinking lion’s blood,
Breeding dairy cattle for calving ease
Over the last fifty years breeding of dairy cattle in has led to very major increases in milk production, especially with respect to the Holstein strain, which is the main dairy breed in all western countries. However,
“Driving force”-dependent block in the inward rectifier K+ channel
Ion channels are protein pores allowing specific ions to pass through cell membrane to maintain resting membrane potential, or to generate various physiological electrical signals. The inward rectifier K+ channel (Kir channel) is noted for the strong
Flashbacks – the signature of trauma
Although it is well-known that traumatic events like sexual assaults or terrorist bombings can cause posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sufferers from this disorder often complain that no one really understands what they are going through. This is
Kidney angiotensinogen as a cardinal risk factor in hypertension
High blood pressure is prevalent in over 30% of the adult population and accounts for approximately one fourth of patients with heart failure, especially the elderly. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is of critical importance in the regulation
A simple method for the Study of Acid Sensing Ion Channels (ASICs) by fluorescence
The presence of severe acidosis has been demonstrated to be associated to several pathological conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, brain trauma, spinal cord injury and epilepsy as well as in inflammatory pain, to cite the most relevant.
Theta burst like stimulations lead to formation of BDNF dependent memory traces
Creating and storing memory traces in our brains is essential for learning, logical thinking, creativity, and for being able to recall persons, events, and facts throughout life. Memory traces are created by joint electrical activity in nerve
ZNRF1: a key molecule activated by reactive oxygen species to cause neuronal degeneration
Neurons, the major component of our brain, have long processes (called “axons” and “dendrites”) to communicate with other neurons and cells. In many brain diseases that old people get suffered from, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease,
A growing epidemic: HPV-related oropharyngeal carcinoma
The incidence of Human Papillomavirus(HPV)related oropharyngeal cancer has increased by epidemic proportions (225%) over the past 30 years. If it continues to increase at the current rate, the incidence of HPVrelated oropharyngeal cancer will be even greater
Lung mechanics and pulmonary function testing in cetaceans
Marine mammals live a life of dual constraints. These air breathing animals need to spend time at the surface to replenish O2 used and remove CO2 produced by metabolism. However, food is underwater and the longer they
Microfluidic live-cell microarrays
In recent years, the development of new drugs and therapies has decelerated despite the application of combinatorial biochemistry and new therapeutic strategies, such as nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems. Although the numbers of newly developed compounds have steadily
Why do people undergo genetic testing – for personal benefits, for family, or for science and society?
Genetic testing is an important tool to detect gene mutations (e.g., BRCA1/2) that increase the risk of cancer, especially among those who are known to have higher chances of carrying these mutations such as Ashkenazi Jewish individuals.
Prader-Willi syndrome: most common genetic cause of life-threatening obesity
Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare complex multisystem genetic disorder. It is recognized as the most common known genetic cause of obesity in humans which can be life-threatening, if not controlled. PWS affects about 1 in 15,000
