Category Archives: Research
The needs of carers of blood cancer survivors: are there differences between Australia rural and urban dwellers?
As cancer treatments are increasingly delivered on an outpatient basis, the burden on partners, relatives and friends or support persons increases. Such people play a critical role in helping cancer patients manage their care. This can take
Treatment of autoimmune blistering diseases during pregnancy
Autoimmune blistering diseases occur when one’s own immune system attacks the skin and mucous membranes (such as your mouth) forming blisters. This group of diseases including pemphigus, bullous pemphigoid, epidermolysis bullosa acquisita, mucous membrane pemphigoid, and pemphigoid
Primary cilia: the story of the hair-like organelle that signals just became more complicated
Cells are the simplest functional unit of biological life. The basic components of cells are taught in biology classrooms across the globe, but despite being widely studied, cells still contain mysteries. Recently, scientists have rediscovered the existence
Ingredient in hops to treat learning and memory impairments and metabolic changes associated with a high-fat diet
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. MetS is associated with enhanced risk to develop age-related cognitive impairments and and dementia. Diets high in saturated fat induce inflammation that contributes
Can EBI2 receptor protect brain cells (oligodendrocytes) from dying during disease?
The four major brain-specific cell types in the brain are: (i) neurons, which transmit and process information via electrical signals, (ii) oligodendrocytes, which insulate neuronal axons with fatty sheets called myelin to ensure fast and complete electrical
Bone microstructure and the size of your femur
Human bones are often thought to be static tissues because of their hard structure. However, in addition to mineral they also contain collagen. This combination gives your bones flexibility in adapting to exercise. Adult bones can respond
A simple system for comprehensive monitoring of o-chlorophenol
The o-chlorophenol is a typical chlorophenol that is extensively used in synthesizing fungicides, preservatives, herbicides, and insecticides. As a highly toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic substance that poses serious ecological threats, o-chlorophenol has been listed as a priority
Kidney function decline in polycystic kidney disease – it’s not always off the cliff
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a relatively common (estimated to affect 1 in 1000 to 1 in 4000 persons all over the world) inherited disorder that leads to kidney failure in the majority of patients
Unravelling the genetics of disease resistance and agronomic traits of spring triticale using wheat and rye genomic resources
Triticale is an important small grain cereal crop which suffers severe yield, grade and end-use quality losses due to Fusarium head blight (FHB) and ergot (ERG) diseases predominantly caused by the fungal pathogens Fusarium graminearum (Fg) and
Getting metals into mitochondria
Scientists consider mitochondria, an organelle within cells, as a power plant. But mitochondria are also a site for metallurgy. There iron enters heme, the compound that binds oxygen in hemoglobin and certain other proteins, or helps form
A tipping point in the size of human groups for successful cooperation in social-ecological systems
How large should be a human group to succeed in collaborating effectively? From a theoretical standpoint, social sciences teach that the larger is the group the harder is to cooperate. So far there was no convincing evidence
Fungal chitin treatment reestablishes the anaerobic bacteria and decreases the intestinal inflammation in mice
The gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota acts a natural barrier to colonization and proliferation of opportunistic pathogens, thereby decreasing the risk of intestinal infection and disease. Deregulation of the dynamic crosstalk between the microbiota, intestinal epithelial cells and immune
Prognostic factors for PM/DM-ILD. A dilemma of treatment intensity?
Polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) are idiopathic inflammatory myopathies of unknown causes. In PM/DM, interstitial lung disease (ILD) is one of the extramuscular manifestations and the principal cause of death. To improve the prognosis of PM/DM-ILD, it
Analyzing the past to understand the future of anti-obesity therapeutics
Causes for obesity are not only related to the amount of food we intake and how much exercise we make. There are some people that have faster metabolisms, therefore are less likely to suffer from obesity and
People’s tweets predict their decisions
People spend a lot of time on the internet: they write on social media, shop for products, listen to music, and click on ads. In my research with Dr. Phillip Wolff at Emory, I ask how much
Sleep deprivation disrupts visual scanning for driving
Sufficient good quality sleep is a necessity for the human brain to function normally. Sleep is primarily regulated by the in-built biological clock that is synchronised with the day-night cycle of our environment, which prepares the body
Stress induced Eh jumps are caused by sulfide efflux from Escherichia coli cells
It was previously established that in aerobic cultures of a number of bacteria subjected to stress, there is a sharp change in the redox potential (Eh) of the medium to reductive (negative) values. Eh jumps were detected
Adopting mammary development gameplay in breast cancer initiation and progression
The process by which the breast changes during puberty and lactation is incredibly unique. Those changes are essential for the functional mammary gland. These changes are triggered and orchestrated by hormones. Such hormonal changes start during pregnancy
Inflammatory Bowel Disease: medical vs surgical vs “sociological” treatments
The human gut continuously hosts an excess of white blood cells in its wall thickness, this lingering inflammation serving to protect us from the outer world that uses the gut as an invading pathway. Unchecked gut inflammation
Statins: Good for the heart, but do they impact the brain?
High cholesterol, termed hyperlipidemia, is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Therefore, keeping cholesterol levels low through diet and exercise has proven benefits for reducing heart disease risk. For adults who cannot meet their cholesterol targets through
