Author Archives: karen
Stranded cetaceans as sentinels for those living in the open sea
Cetacean strandings, coupled with the study of their causative factors, are a matter of rapidly growing scientific interest and debate. Within such context, “beached” cetaceans undoubtedly represent a crucial source of “vital informations”, provided that dolphins’ and
Stress tolerance in plants is controlled by a “master regulator” of chloroplast protein import
To achieve food security by meeting the needs of an ever growing human population, which could reach near 10 billion by 2050, large increases in crop yields will be essential. Environmental stresses, such as drought and salinity,
Trafficking and signalling from the endosome regulate blood vessel formation in the lung
The formation of new small blood vessels is essential during development and as a repair mechanism in disease. In the lung, blood vessel formation is altered in diseases such as severe bacterial infection and tumour spread. The
Combining different antibody flavors to improve cancer therapy
Our immune system is specialized at identifying ‘foreign intruders’ (pathogens) or virus-infected cells inside the human body. This can be achieved by antibodies (immunoglobulins) that circulate in our body and are able to bind targets with high
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is nerve damage caused by diabetes. Population-based studies have suggested more than half of patients with either type I or type II diabetes will develop neuropathy, and as much as 30% of those manifestations
What do we breathe? A study of particular matter exposure and deposition in the human respiratory tract
Have you ever thought about the diameter of a single hair from your head? It is somewhere between 50-70 µm. (micrometres, or thousandth of millimetres) wide. Small, isn’t it? Well, now think about liquid or solid droplets
GLI mutations in patients with Hirschsprung disease
Hirschsprung (HSCR) disease (congenital megacolon) is one of the more common birth defects. It is a global problem but is particularly prevalent in Asia, affecting 1 in 3000 babies. These babies suffer from severe constipation and intestinal
Weather predictions of tick bite risk
A walk in the park can be an uplifting experience. It can also turn into a nightmare if the outdoors are filled with blood hungry ticks. The newly published research shows that weather conditions, particularly temperature, can
A novel 18F-azido click agent and their applications in PET imaging
Positron-emission tomography (PET) is a non-invasive molecular imaging technique that is used to study and visualize in vivo physiology by the detection of positron-emitting (radiolabeled) compounds. Fluorine-18, represented by symbol 18F, is the most widely used element
The vicious cycle in liver that fuels the obesity diabetes pandemic
Experimental obesity is readily produced by dietary excesses of fats or carbohydrates and involves an initial increase in glucose production by the liver with subsequent increases in blood insulin levels, i.e., an insulin-resistant state. In turn, elevated
Gene expression changes underlying prostate cancer metastasis
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 220,800 new cases of prostate cancer in 2015 and 27,540 prostate cancer related deaths. The National Cancer
Effects of whey protein on strength, fat free mass or lean body mass
Protein supplementation has become common practice for many competitive and recreational athletes. Since a variety of protein sources and multi-ingredient formulations are marketed, athletes and nutritional coaches would need to know more on the effectiveness of such
The first case in the world of Brugada Phenocopy due to coronary anomaly
Brugada Syndrome (BrS) is an arrhythmogenic disease responsible for at least 20% of sudden deaths in patients without structural heart disease and is the leading cause of death in subjects under the age of 40 years. Currently,
Genetically engineered mice provide a new look at sight-threatening eye disease
A group of sight-threatening inflammatory diseases of the eye, in which the immune system inappropriately recognizes and attacks the retina and adjacent structures, is known as non-infectious, or autoimmune, uveitis. Lymphocytes of the patients in fact recognize
Are domestic pig hybrids sick more often than other wild boar?
We know from genetic research that about 4% of the wild boars that roam Northwest Europe are hybrids between wild boar and domestic pigs. These hybrids resulted from wild x domestic crosses in recent years. The sources
PM2.5 pollution and respiratory diseases in Beijing
In this research, PM2.5 was monitored from the year 2007 to 2012, and the hospital data about respiratory diseases during the same period was gathered and calculated. Then the correlation between respiratory health and fine particles was
Gene sequencing as a novel tool for diagnosing Loeys-Dietz syndrome
Vascular disease is very common and usually follows well known patterns that physicians are thoroughly familiar with. However, from time to time doctors are confronted with »difficult cases« that do not follow usual patterns. A 35-year old
Selectivity in acquired prosopagnosia
Face recognition is a special skill at which most humans are adept. Whether this also means that it involves special resources in the human brain has been debated for many years. A lot of the evidence in
Repair of damaged genetic material in humans
Living organisms across the evolutionary scale protect their genetic material (DNA) by repairing the constant threat of damage posed by environmental radiations, toxic chemicals, and byproducts of cellular metabolism. In the early 60s, Setlow and Howard-Flanders at
Should we protect the brain barriers to prevent Alzheimer’s disease?
When discovered in 1906, Alzheimer’s disease was described as a peculiar disease and was rarely observed in the population. Today it is one of the top five causes of the death in elderly worldwide. People with Alzheimer’s
