Author Archives: karen
Adverse Drug Reactions: power, harm reduction, regulation and the ADRe profile
Patients should be checked systematically to ensure that they are not being harmed by their medication. Through case studies of prescriptions of antipsychotics to older adults in the UK, we have shown that if healthcare professionals systematically
Trends in heart failure diagnosis for women and men in urban and rural settings in Ontario
Heart failure remains a significant cause of death and disability for women and men. It is estimated that 1 in 5 individuals will be diagnosed with heart failure in their lifetime, with an average survival of approximately
Any cell organelle can be the starting point for toxicant and pathogen-induced cell death
Toxicants and pathogens often induce death of their target and host cells. In order to investigate the different ways they can achieve this I have used the hepatopancreatocytes of decapod crustaceans as an example, Specifically, I tried
How can we tuned magnetic response of a composite particles to an applied field
Composite particles contain two or more components and therefore they could have several advantages over single component particles, as multifuntionality, novel functions or enhanced properties. Their properties are induced by interactions between the constituents and depend not
Prioritization of unregulated disinfection by-products in water distribution systems
Drinking water contamination has been recognized as a global challenge. Water contamination due to the regrowth of microorganisms, including harmful pathogens, has been recognized as a critical drinking water quality failure pathway. Disinfection is a common process
Can reports of a homicide committed by a person with schizophrenia change public opinion about them?
Schizophrenia is a neurological disorder in which a combination of hallucinations and delusions lead the person to interpret reality abnormally. On May 29th 2009, a patient diagnosed with schizophrenia killed a 4-year old boy and injured his
Sex differences in heart failure outcomes in Ontario, Canada
Heart failure is a leading cause of death in women and men around the world. Despite recent advances in the management of heart failure, much still need to be learned how outcomes might differ by sex. Indeed,
Ecotoxicology at the era of biocontrol expansion
The French network ECOTOX questioned recently the implementation of ecotoxicology tools and concepts within the elaboration of biocontrol strategies. Ecotoxicology is defined as the science which studies the impacts of human activity (industry, agriculture, urban growth…) on
Visualizing invisible nano-structure of electric double layer structure: deuterium labelling for neutron study
Ionic liquids (ILs) which are composed of organic cations and organic (or inorganic) anions have been widely considered for use in electrochemical materials because of their excellent chemical and physical properties wide electrochemical window, negligible vapor pressure,
The hepatopancreas of decapod crustaceans, a particularly complex and dynamic invertebrate organ
The hepatopancreas is the largest organ of the digestive tract and metabolic centre of the ~15,000 species of decapod crustaceans that include shrimps, crabs, lobsters and crayfishes. A review of my own data and literature data revealed
How fast a single nanopore acquires its charge
Modern technologies such as smartphones, electric vehicles and various battery-powered devices increasingly require high density electric-energy storage units for improved operation. Supercapacitors are an emergent class of high-power storage devices which consist of porous electrodes that can
What are the chemical properties of water in the world’s deepest blue hole?
The Sansha Yongle Blue Hole (SYBH), located on the Yongle Atoll of the Xiasha Islands in the northern South China Sea, has been discovered to be the world’s deepest blue hole. Its depth is 301.19 m, 100
Retroduplication of rhodopsin gene 400 million years ago diversified the photoreception in fishes
Animals utilize light from the environment as important information sources. We can discriminate colors, brightness and shapes of objects by visual system. In addition, animals can detect daily and seasonal changes of the light environment to alter
Invasion of science and nature by the parthenogenetic marbled crayfish
The marbled crayfish or Marmorkrebs, Procambarus virginalis (Fig. 1A), is the only obligately parthenogenetic decapod crustacean. It was detected in 1995 in the German aquarium trade. With almost 300 publications, it is now one of the best-studied
MS Treatment Experience at Swiss Medica: “I’ve Got My Life Back”
Posted by Anna Nadiryan embryologist, cell biologist, medical writer This story is told by Shaun Lawrence from the UK, who was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2009. His right leg was aching so much that he
Good governance for migratory fish stocks
As the oceans warm in response to continued greenhouse gas emissions, fish are moving to seek out their preferred environmental conditions. These shifts in distribution are changing the locations of the best fishing areas within the geographical
Disordered highways clear mucus from the lungs
Our respiratory system is continuously exposed to potentially harmful particles such as dust, fungi, bacteria and viruses. Indeed, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, respiratory conditions were already one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The first
A combined rapid microfluidics and design-of-experiment approach to optimize liposomal formulations
Nanomedicine has attracted enormous attention for the introduction of advantageous nanoscale materials. Among them, liposomes have devoted considerable concern owing to unique physicochemical and biological properties, as well as the tremendous potential for drug delivery applications. Over
AI Can’t Save Us From This Pandemic – But It Can Certainly Help With Future Ones
Much has been said about artificial intelligence (AI) and its vast potential to revolutionize life as we know it. But if we were to pinpoint a specific field that has more promising use for AI, that definitely
Prioritizing Your Mental Health: 5 Tech Solutions
Technology seems to be solving a myriad of problems these days, from keeping you organized to tracking your fitness and physical health to providing you with plenty of entertainment. And now, it’s helping you with one of
