Author Archives: karen
The drug that can inhibit infection by reovirus
Cellular diversity is, to some extent, determined by the molecules present within specific cells. For example, cells that make up the endothelium, the part of blood vessels that come in contact with blood, make specific proteins that
On their way out: Structural HIV proteins team up before escaping from infected cells
The human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV ) infects and eventually destroys the immune cells of infected patients. This causes the life-threatening medical condition called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome ( AIDS ). A cure for HIV/AIDS does not exist,
Zinc – a promising supplement for the immune system
Zinc is essential for basic functions within cells of the human body. Hence, zinc deficiency is associated with impaired immune functions as dermatitis, dysfunction of the immune system, hypogonadism, and growth retardation. Under normal conditions only low
How my physician could adapt his or her behaviors to my preferences?
Nowadays, the recommended approach in physician – patient interaction is patient – centeredness. As the name suggests, patient – centeredness implies to put the patient in the center of the consultation and to take his or her
The hidden link between aquaculture production and freshwater appropriation
The aquaculture sector is steadily growing and so is the demand for aquafeed. Each fish and crustacean has certain needs in terms of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, among others. The question is how those needs can
The social gap in lifetime in good health increased during the financial crisis in Denmark
The trend of increasing social health inequality persisted during the financial crisis in Denmark. In addition to about 4 extra years of life 50-year-old Danes with a high educational level could expect to live more than 9
The walking brain
Walking is the most common locomotion strategy to move from one to another place. Normally, we do not think about our steps and we would consider walking as a natural and automatic behaviour. However, more challenging environmental
Non-invasive real-time prediction of inner knee temperatures during therapeutic cooling
Measurements in biomedicine are often difficult to perform because human subjects are involved. Many examples can be found, particularly in clinical procedures, where in vivo measurements are often not as accurate as desired, difficult, dangerous or even
Exploring the link between the baby boom and aging prisoners
America’s prisoners are getting older and concern over this problem is rising. Not only are inmates over the age of 50 the fastest growing prison population in the U.S., the increased need for healthcare services among this
Employment of migrant care workers by Italian families assisting older Alzheimer’s disease patients
A rising phenomenon across the European Union (EU) is the increasing presence of migrant care workers (MCWs), privately employed by families of older people in need, who take over different tasks: supervision, drug administration, support in mobility
A wearable UV-LED medical device for automatic disinfection of stethoscope membrane
The medical literature has demonstrated the importance of healthcare-associated infections ( HAI ), which are an huge worldwide problem because of health complications, mortality ( EU + USA 140.000 death/year ), length of hospitalization and costs for
Cancer connection: study of inflammation offers tantalizing clues
The body displays a remarkable capacity for healing wounds— a process we often take for granted. Within a day, a finger we’ve carelessly nicked returns to normal. Behind the scenes, a crucial mediator of the body’s inflammatory
Too much or too little of one gene, CHRNA7, is associated with many neuropsychiatric disorders
In the human genome, certain regions are unstable and are found to have missing ( deletions ) or extra ( duplications ) pieces of chromosome. Many of these deletions and duplications have been implicated in neurological disease,
Onco-Nephrology: the frontier of cancer and kidney disease
Kidney problems can result from cancer or its treatment. Patients with kidney disease can develop cancer. These clinical problems are challenging and significantly affect morbidity and mortality. Yet until recently they have not had focused attention. Cancer
Oil penetration into the human skin
For a long time, oils have been the basis of many skin care products and ointments in the cosmetic industry and medicine. Oils are supposed to be non-penetrating substances, therefore they are neutral for the human skin
The prognostic value of tumor markers and cytokines in patients with squamous cell cervical cancer
Optimal management of cervical cancer consists of appropriate treatment methods after the precise staging, following detection as early as possible, and the best salvage therapy. Early detection of recurrence, especially at the early stages in cervical cancer
Conservation of biological resources, Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites
The conservation of biological resources is an essential factor for all biological research, and is the first function of a Biological Resource Centre. For parasites, this conservation remains difficult due to the structural complexity of the microorganisms.
The discovery of an ancient symbiosis challenges a decades old paradigm
The vast majority of land plants form intimate nutritional partnerships with filamentous fungi wherein fungal-acquired mineral nutrients from the soil are traded for plant-generated organic carbon. These mutualistic associations, known as arbuscular mycorrhizas (“tree-like fungus-roots”), are widely
Chaperones’ seduction
Molecular chaperones are a very special class of proteins found in all organisms from bacteria to humans. Like their name suggests, they accompany and supervise the correct folding of all the other proteins in cells. This process
What does a guardian protect genomic DNA from?
Living organisms can achieve their propagation through copying (replicating) the genetic information, coded in DNA sequence, and dividing them to each daughter cell. DNA sequence is a basic element and its conservation is essential for individual life
