Author Archives: karen
Bioinspiration on the lotus leaf surface to develop hydrophobic films
The production and application of synthetic materials in food packaging has grown quickly over the past few decades, resulting in serious environmental concerns due to the resistance to degradation of these synthetic materials. In recent years, the
Plant digestive juice: replenish or not?
Carnivorous tropical pitcher plants from the genus Nepenthes produce elaborate pitcher organs with digestive glands to trap and digest insect prey in nitrogen poor soil. The content of pitcher fluids has been the focus of many studies,
4 Unsolved Challenges for Healthcare’s Digital Transformation by the end of 2021
What has been really improved by the COVID-19 pandemic is the adoption of technologies by healthcare providers. However, those will get the biggest return who will ensure not just the incorporation of digital innovation into their daily
Other components of less common oilseeds are much more beneficial for health than their unsaturated fats
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are thought to be some of the most important nutrients and health promoting constituents, the presence of which is usually insufficient in a daily diet, which in turn is often connected with their
Finding ‘someone like me’: key benefits of non-12-step alcohol online support groups
Problem drinking is a significant issue in the UK with a 20% increase in deaths from specific alcohol-related causes in 2020. UK and USA national guidance on treating problem drinking recognises the importance of peer support in
Exercise inhibits cancer: the mechanosensitive state of tumor cells
Surprisingly, researchers find that tumor cells are sensitive to mechanical stresses. This may provide new ways to treat cancers without the severe side-effects of many therapies. Because mechanosensitivity of cancer cells is found quite generally, it appears
Hibernating chipmunk’s brain senses loss of energy
The vast majority of mammals maintain their body temperature around 40°C throughout their lifetimes; however, hibernating mammals are an exception. Hibernation is an important adaptation to survive harsh conditions, such as frigid environments or starvation. It is
Chicago data suggests light pollution disrupts animals’ biological clocks and reduces habitat value
Population growth, economic development, and urbanization mean more ecosystems are lit throughout the night. Ecologists and astronomers, among other concerned folks, have been raising the alarm that “ecological light pollution” is disrupting ecosystems’ natural cycles of light
Arming macrophages to stop cancer progression
Macrophages are a type of immune cells that fight infection and support tissue remodeling. They are best known as phagocytes which engulf bacteria and damaged cells stimulating other immune cells. In addition, macrophages assist wound healing processes
The efficacy of L-Mesitran Medical Grade Honey for wound care in rhinos was supported by a prospective case series
South Africa is home to some of the world’s most endangered wildlife, with the White rhinoceros (Cerathotherium simum) among its most threatened species due to its highly sought-after horn. The number of poached rhinos is dropping over
Tech Innovations That Are Changing the Business World
Far-fetched predictions about business technology are often either utopian or dystopian, depending on who you ask. After all, robots will take all our jobs could either mean humans get to spend all their time doing whatever they
Lung ultrasound. A field for misconceptions… and friendships
Born from the wreckage of the Titanic, used in the marine then industry, ultrasound impacted medicine in the 50s. However, the lung has always been considered as not accessible to this simple, noninvasive, cost-cutting discipline. This assumption
Rethink before taking extra amino acid supplements
Diet is important to fuel growth and cellular machinery and thus, plays an important role in the survival of a living organism. One of the important components of our diet is protein, which is made of different
The use of olfactory neuronal precursors for antemortem Alzheimer’s Disease diagnosis
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a disabling and progressive illness that causes a high social cost and economic burden. Current diagnosis has been done by clinical appreciation based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5) and
Poverty may affect the developing brain through chronic stress
Socioeconomic disadvantage, which is prevalent in the United States and worldwide, is consistently associated with lower academic achievement and higher risk for emotional and behavioral problems. Exposure to socioeconomic disadvantage during childhood can leave long-lasting imprints on
Paleohydrology and Harappan river-valley civilization
Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Indus (or Harappan) are Bronze age (3rd millennium BCE) river-valley civilizations (Fig. 1A). A general perception is that large civilizations developed near large river systems that provided water resources for sustenance. But this depiction
Eavesdropping on cell communications to treat cancer with drug resistance
An estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases and almost 10 million cancer deaths occurred worldwide in 2020. It’s estimated that one in three individuals will be diagnosed with some kind of cancer in their lifetime. When cancer
Vaccine design in the OMICs Era
A retrospection into the field of vaccinology reveals the triumph of medical science over infectious diseases that were once a death sentence. Research on vaccines has come a long way since 1796 when Edward Jenner used a
The algal organic matter: A novel carbon source to enhance the nitrogen removal in situ of aerobic denitrifiers
In recent years, nitrogen pollution, especially nitrate is an important problem faced by lots of reservoirs. Excessive nitrogen levels can cause water eutrophication, resulting in deterioration of water quality by increasing turbidity, affecting taste and odor, and
The complementary anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives
Inflammation is an important and extremely complex biological process involving a high number of mediators responsible for the activation of multiple cascades, providing a wide range of possible targets for the pharmacological treatment of inflammatory-related diseases. It
