Category Archives: Research
Advanced plasmonics: Self-assembly brings order
Nanoporous self-organized membranes are complex, sophisticatedly fabricated, hierarchical nanostructures which combine several unique properties such as very developed surface area and long pores through the whole free-standing or surface-bond films of several micrometers to several hundred micrometres
miR-146 and miR-155, two key modulators of the immune response and of the oncogenic transformation
Micro-RNA (miRNAs or miRs) are small noncoding RNAs that negatively regulate protein coding gene transcripts and exert an important role in the control of gene expression. miRs are deregulated in many tumors and play an active role
Bone marrow chilling could warm the body
In order to keep warm during cold exposure, heat production must be increased. This can be achieved through non-shivering and shivering thermogenesis. The main tissue involved in non-shivering thermogenesis is brown adipose tissue (BAT) which is located
Crossing borders to accelerate diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases of the Central Nervous System are affecting 50 million people worldwide. The forecast is that these numbers will steeply increase due to the aging population. These diseases are difficult to diagnose, due to a substantial
Parkinson disease: a tale of three neurotransmitters
The progressive loss of dopaminergic innervation of the basal ganglia, in particular of the dorsal striatum (putamen) is responsible for the motor signs of Parkinson disease such as bradykinesia, rigidity and loss of postural reflexes. Present therapies
No-bonding reactivity of Helium under pressure
Noble gas (NG) elements have been thought historically to be chemically inert. Nevertheless, already in 1930, Pauling predicted that Xenon could react with other elements. Thirty years later, Bartlett synthetized the first Xe compound, Xe+[PtF6]–. High pressure
Disengaging ATF6 from DREAM for neuroprotection
To study early changes in neuronal function during the pre-symptomatic phase of a given neurodegenerative disease is very important. It could deliver early diagnostic markers, offer prognostic clues about disease progression and uncover novel therapeutic targets for
Grandmothers’ breastfeeding stories to mothers: a knowledge translation gift
Breastfeeding is an ideal way to feed babies that promotes and protects health throughout life. In the Northwest Territories, Canada, in follow-up to a study from one region of the territory, we conducted a territory-wide study to
Therapeutic delivery vehicle development by combinatorial post-modification
Polymers are widely used in the construction of nanocarriers for therapeutic delivery because of their precisely controllable structure and low toxicity. Combinatorially modified polymers usually have a portion of similar structures, while other specific structures determine the
Subjects with gambling-related problems requiring treatment
Gambling disorders affect 0.2–5.3% of adults worldwide, although measurement and prevalence varies according to the screening instruments and methods used, and the availability and accessibility of gambling opportunities. A significant percentage of gamblers develops clinically relevant gambling
Oral corticosteroids on hand to treat the next asthma exacerbation?
Asthma exacerbations are a major cause of visits to an emergency room, especially for children. What is an asthma exacerbation? There is general agreement that acute symptoms of asthma become an exacerbation when they are more frequent
An educational programme for the control of hospital outbreaks
Healthcare associated infections due to microorganisms resistant to multiple antimicrobial drugs (Multidrug Resistant Organisms-MDROs) represent a concern for healthcare facilities worldwide. Because of the difficulties in the management of MDRO infections, various guidelines containing recommendations have been
Diagnostic challenges between Chiari malformation and neurocysticercosis
Diagnosis of neurocysticercosis can be challenging due to a wide variety of symptoms depending on the location, developmental stage, and the number of cysts when symptomatic. However, uninflamed extraparenchymal cysts are isodense to cerebrospinal fluid and may
Improving outcomes after liver transplantation using body-temperature organ preservation
The global shortage of livers for transplantation has necessitated the use of increasingly marginal organs. Many countries have seen a recent increase in deceased organ donors but many of these additional donors are sub-optimal with significant co-morbidities,
Bacteriocin AS-48: a potent drug against sleeping sickness
African trypanosomiasis has been a historical scourge on the African continent and one of the major causes of poverty. It is responsible for sleeping sickness in humans (HAT), and it avoids the development of agriculture based on
Percutaneous axillary artery access for fenestrated and branched thoracoabdominal endovascular repair
An upper extremity access (UEA) is necessary for complex endovascular aortic repairs, especially for branched and fenestrated endografts to successfully catheterize target vessels with a caudal orientation. The subclavian artery and axillary artery (AxA) have largely been
Brain networks in major depressive disorder
Pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) is poorly understood, because it affects a broad range of motivational, emotional, and cognitive processes, which are difficult to disentangle. Thus, task performance differences between patients and healthy controls may relate
Multiple sclerosis diagnosis from cerebrospinal fluids via infrared spectroscopy with chemometrics
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, demyelinating and degenerative disease of central nervous system (CNS), characterized by an autoimmune inflammation. Approximately 2.5 million people in the world are affected from multiple sclerosis which is one of the
Targeting cholesterol metabolism to suppress prostate cancer metastasis
Metastatic prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men worldwide. Prostate cancer itself is one of the most common cancers in men. At the early stages, localized prostate cancer usually grows slowly and
Physics of the mechanical toy Gee-Haw Whammy Diddle
Gee-haw whammy diddle is a mechanical toy consisting of two wooden rods and a propeller. The main rod has a series of notches engraved in it and a propeller loosely attached to its end. The driving rod
