Category Archives: Research
DARC – A light at the end of the tunnel
Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness, affecting more than 70 million people worldwide. Visual loss is attributed to death of nerve cells, called retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), in the back of the eye. There is
Do pufferfish selectively accumulate toxins?
Marine pufferfish of the genus Takifugu, including Takifugu pardalis, contain the potent neurotoxin tetrodotoxin (TTX). TTX is distributed not only in pufferfish, but also in various other organisms, many of which are toxified exogenously by the food
Cultural competency/safety in healthcare
There is current interest in cultural safety and cultural competence in tertiary institutions the world over. We need to learn it, teach it, and practice it. While this is true across the sector, my paper just focuses
Predictive sensing: the role of motor signals in sensory processing
The brain receives sensory information and uses it to build a representation of our environment and guide our behaviors. However, these voluntary actions in turn also lead to stimulation of our sensory systems. Accordingly, our sensory systems
Do bike lanes make cycling safer? Researchers don’t know
For years, researchers have been identifying “hotspots” for crashes – street segments or zones where a high proportion of crashes occur. Often features of the built environment – features such as population density, the number of intersections,
Macrophage-myofibroblast transition: a novel target for stopping kidney disease
Kidney is one of the major organs in our body for detoxification. Its failure is an important cause of patient mortality that serves as a primary disease and a lethal complication in a range of diseases such
Perspectives for anti-tuberculosis therapy with additional drug activities to counteract drug resistance
Generally, antibiotic therapies use single antibiotics to combat sensitive bacteria. The standard of antituberculosis therapy includes four antibacterial agents that all have different modes of activities in the initial phase of a tuberculosis infection with mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Monitoring of the consumption of new psychoactive substances in wastewater from Athens
Licit and illicit drug use monitoring is an important subject for public health. Almost every substance that people consume is excreted as parent compound and as metabolites via urine and faeces and ends up in the sewage
Is Lebanese oregano safe to consume?
Oregano, Origanum syriacum, is an aromatic perennial herb that is widely used in the Middle East. It is a delicious, cheap staple food that is consumed by all classes. Oregano is not only used for consumption purposes but is
Interactive/combined effects of climate change and pollutants is a major threat to marine biota and seafood worldwide
Both climate change and pollutants are a global problem and a major threat to social, economic, and environmental sectors. Climate change stressors are rise in temperatures, ocean acidification (decrease in pH), sea-level and hypoxia (dissolved oxygen <
Method to measure calcium signaling in nanometer-sized primary cilia
Cilia are slender microtubule-based organelles that protrude from the apical membrane in most adherent cells. Studies looking into the mechanosensory function of the primary cilium have proved it to be an essential cellular organelle. When exposed to
Does tangential radiation for breast cancer cover internal mammary nodes?
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women in the United States. Radiation is a very commonly used treatment modality for breast cancer: it is offered to nearly all patients after lumpectomy (removal of
The year of the honey bee with respect to its physiology and immunity
It has been known for many years that in temperate climates, the European honey bee, Apis mellifera, exists in the form of two distinct populations within the year, short-living summer bees and long-living winter bees. Summer populations’
Is the ACTN3 gene a real “speed gene” in horses?
The ACTN3 gene encoding α-actinin-3 in humans is considered to be a key factor in determining the predisposition to short- or long-term exercise (sprint or endurance). In addition, mutations within it are used for commercial genetic tests
Antifouling photo-bactericidal combined effect of a Ag@nanoMOF
The formation of bacterial biofilm on surfaces occurs naturally and its inhibition and treatment to limit the propagation of infectious diseases is still an unsolved challenge. Traditionally, several antibiotics have been used to mitigate the formation of
Left-handers are not at risk for mathematical learning difficulties
Nearly one in every ten people is left-handed, a number that seems to have remained the same through time and place. Interestingly, individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as low functioning autism or intellectual disability, are more likely
Adverse food reactions in cats: 1000 cases
Wholesome nutrition is the key to maintaining a healthy immune system and resistance to disease. Commercial foods given to animals may not be truly balanced in major nutrients, minerals and vitamins, and some have chemicals added to
Historical stability of the human aging rate and its decline in our time
Using age-related mortality data for 40 countries, it is shown that the rate of aging does not change significantly over history and is almost the same for different countries from the mid-18th to the mid-20th century. However,
Microalgae-based wastewater treatment for nutrients recovery
The world may face deficits of water supplies in the decades ahead, for both potable water and water for irrigation, due to human population growth, droughts and floods due to climate change, contamination of water resources, and
EML1: an entry point to study cellular mechanisms at the origin of brain malformations
Cerebral cortical development is a tightly regulated process, depending on dividing progenitor cells that ultimately produce neurons that then migrate to find their appropriate positions in the developing cortex. Certain genetic conditions as well as environmental factors
