Category Archives: Research
Inflammation alters brain function and pain processing centrally
In the last couple of years, some fascinating abilities of the immune system have emerged: The immune system is tightly interconnected with the nervous system, and can directly affect how the brain functions, and how a person
Depression severity is related to the development of heart disease in previously cardiac health subjects
Depression is a disabling, high-prevalence psychiatric condition. It is well established that depression is linked with physiological changes that can contribute to an unfavorable outcome in cardiac patients. As depressed patients exhibit impairments in the autonomic nervous
Organ allocation policies according to the UNESCO’s Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights
On October 19th, 2015 the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) adopted the “Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights”. The Declaration has been signed by representatives of the 191 member
Fish responses to ocean acidification comes with a cost
Ocean acidification is currently recognized as a major threat to marine ecosystems and has become one of the fastest growing research fields in marine sciences. The excessive amount of anthropogenic carbon dioxide is making our oceans warmer
Immune depression in the malnourished child: Knowledge all dressed up with nowhere to go
Nearly one million children under five years of age die annually from wasting deficits of protein and energy acting in synergy with pneumonia and diarrhea, and this toll is undoubtedly exceeded numerically by an additional burden of
Safety first: Ammonia storage in nickel salts for safe and clean vehicles
Hydrogen is what many scientists believe to be the best replacement for fossil fuels in mobile applications such as cars. It contains a lot of energy, it can be used in fuel cells and using hydrogen produces
Hoopoes modulate their alliance with beneficial bacteria along the nesting phase
Alliances with microorganisms are crucial for animal life and survival. Beneficial associations between animals and bacteria and other microbes are quite diverse. Perhaps, the most widely extended and known association between animals and microorganisms is that of
Obesity in British and German online newspapers
How news articles discuss events and issues may impact how these events and issues are understood by people and what courses of action receive more support. Much has therefore been written about the news representation of obesity
Role of heterochromatin in establishing and changing cell fate
In development, a fertilized egg replicates many times, growing into an embryo and differentiating into many types of cells. In people, differentiation generates brain cells, muscle cells, and fat cells, among others. Each cell type has its
What makes people under stress more vulnerable to become addicted to cocaine? Brain BDNF may be the key
Annually, drug addiction leads to 0.5 – 1.3% of mortality for people between 15-64 years of age and has an estimated economic impact of $524 billion in the U.S, due to addiction-related health care, loss of productivity,
Can we replace heparin with saline in long term central venous catheters in children?
A central venous catheter (CVC) is a long, thin, flexible tube which is inserted into a large central vein. This enables access to the blood stream for people with serious medical conditions to receive medications and fluids,
Climate change and global warming affect dairy cattle reproduction
The increase in average global temperatures is a major threat not only to human beings but also to farm animals, especially dairy cattle. Animal welfare is nowadays a priority and reproduction is actually something of an Achilles
Is it possible to overcome microscopic contamination affecting the interpretation of the archaeological record?
Archaeology is a subfield of anthropology, the study of all human culture. This discipline often resorts to several scientific techniques to analyse the archaeological record. For instance, microscopy is intensively used to analyse different materials, such as
Microalgae – a potential biocatalyst for waste remediation with value Addition
Microalgae have the ability to sequester carbon dioxide, and grow in nutrient-rich environments and accumulate nutrients and metals from wastewater contributing for environmental sustainability and carbon neutrality. More recently, utility of microalgae as biocatalyst is garnered much
On the track of DNA damage in insects
DNA is a molecule containing all information necessary for proper function, development, growth, and reproduction of an organism. DNA usually consists of two strands, which are made of nucleotides. Each of them contains one nitrogen nucleobase –
Brain bypass: current trends in the treatment of patients with complex cerebrovascular disease
Cerebral Revascularization or bypass is the neurosurgical equivalent of coronary artery bypass. In these procedures a surgeon uses existing vessels in the head and brain or vessels harvested from another part of the body to either replace
Locking out HIV from human cells: a new powerful approach
Picture your home, the safest place in the world. And now imagine a criminal that wants to enter and become you home landlord. And imagine that the criminal has the key. What would you do to protect
Shortness of breath from exercise: facts and fiction
Both athletes and aspiring young athletes can be concerned about getting excessively short of breath during exercise. Does that mean there is something wrong? The answer is maybe or maybe not. All too often, the assumption is
Women less likely than men to stick to cardiac rehab programs
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in North America and it occurs more in women than in men. After a sudden heart event, women are more likely than men to die, more likely to have
Do abstract paintings feel cold or warm?
We found that people do associate what they see with their own eyes with a tactile sensation even in the absence of an obvious parallel. It would be no surprise to find that pictures of a sweater
