Category Archives: Research
Multi-scale mechanical characterization of prostate cancer cell lines
Cellular mechanics are of prime importance in the birth and the evolution of tumors towards increasingly aggressive stages and are often proposed as potential biomarkers to evaluate metastatic potential. Mechanical properties of two human prostate cell lines,
Decrypting the secret of Swarna Bhasma, an ancient Ayurvedic/Sidha medicine. Swarna Bhasma, ancient Ayurvedic medicine, meets human cells
Ayurveda is an indigenous medical system of natural healing, with roots in folk medicine, in practice on the Indian subcontinent since at least 5000 years. It adopts a holistic approach towards health, emphasizing the connection between the
Unregulated oxygen levels in mammalian cell culture changes cell physiology
As aerobic organisms we continuously utilize oxygen from the surrounding environment which ultimately participates in the formation of useful bioenergetic intermediates. Approximately 21% of the air we breathe is composed of oxygen, but the quantity of oxygen
Does inadequate sleep hours and snoring relate to chronic disease?
Sleep is one of the fundamental requirements for survival of human beings. Yet an outrageous number of population neglect its’ importance. Although most people tend to think that lack of sleep (<7 hours) is more detrimental to
Muscle wasting with chronic diseases: Can Sirtuins fix the problem?
Prognosis of a chronic disease worsens when associated with uncontrolled muscle loss. Muscle wasting can become the last nail in the coffin when accompanied with chronic diseases like cancer, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and infective
Niobium oxide cluster ions grow to have more compact structures than vanadium oxides
Compositions and geometrical structures of niobium oxide cluster ions, NbmOn± (m ≤ 12), were studied comparing with the lighter Group 5 counterpart vanadium oxide cluster ions by ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS). As a result of collision
Horny skin layer enhances the skin barrier function and water bonding with increasing age
Human skin consist of three layers – epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue. The main age–related changes in the skin are well investigated for the dermis and include the delay of bio fluids’ microcirculation, reduced synthesis of extracellular
Menthol makes harder to quit nicotine-seeking behavior
Even though almost all smokers want to quit smoking and have made attempts to do so, the majority eventually relapses and continues to smoke. In the United States, in contrast to the overall significant progress in reducing
What pH at the sites of calcification of an octocoral tells us
Corals are marine organisms which elaborate calcium carbonate skeletons, a process known as biomineralization or calcification. This process involves the regulation of ions at the site of calcification together with the synthesis of organic molecules such as
How can we understand persistent pain?
Acute pain evoked by tissue injury makes biologic sense and can be explained mechanistically in great detail. It is much more difficult to understand why pain so often persists after healing of an injury, or even arises
B-vitamins over-consumption may be the cause of the increased prevalence of obesity and diabetes
Obesity and type 2 diabetes have been a major health issue in the United States. It is during the past few decades that obesity and type 2 diabetes have rapidly reached epidemic levels not only in adults
Ultra Quick sample preparation prior to GC-MS based metabolomics
Metabolomics is a comprehensive study of low molecular weight compounds in biological samples and has been applied to wide range of research areas from medical to food analysis. For the analysis of metabolites, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS)
Statin therapy makes things worse for alcohol drinkers
High cholesterol levels in humans represent a risk factor for life-threatening cardio/cerebrovascular conditions, including heart attack and stroke. It is estimated that nearly 94.6 million, or 40 % of American adults, have total blood cholesterol levels above
How healthy the Indian leopards are?
Carnivores face a continuous threat for their survival from pathogens, indirectly resulting from anthropogenic factors such as human population expansion, habitat loss or its alteration and climate change leading to their endangerment in the wild. These effects
The herbicide glyphosate activates oxidative metabolism in the weed model plant Arabidopsis thaliana
For farmers, glyphosate is a very familiar chemical compound because it is one of the broad-spectrum herbicides more used worldwide in agriculture. Even it is also applied in non-cultivated areas to keep the growth of weeds under
Evolution of a sucker: Functional principles of traps in carnivorous bladderworts (Utricularia, Lentibulariaceae)
Certain plants lure, capture, kill and digest animal prey. Bladderworts (Utricularia spp.) comprise more than 240 species and constitute the largest genus of such carnivorous plants. They can be found almost worldwide in a variety of different
Isolation of stable monomeric organo aluminum radicals
Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the earth’s crust and its numerous chemical derivatives have various applications in organic as well in organometallic synthesis. The oxidation state +III is thermodynamically favorable for aluminum, while the chemistry
The pubertal divide in mortality from severe influenza: clues for novel therapeutics
The 1918 influenza pandemic, also known as the Spanish flu, was a protracted and devastating outbreak. Upwards of 500 million people worldwide were infected and death estimates surpassed 50 million. Contemporary studies using virus reconstructed from autopsy
Let carbon nanostructures do the job
CO2 emission, from burning of fossil fuels and industrial processes is estimated to contribute more than 70% of all greenhouse gases. The prospects of a clean energy economy demands the efficient removal of CO2. Absorption of CO2 using chemical
Polymer hydration and stiffness at biointerfaces and related cellular processes
This review focuses on the studies that demonstrate how hydration/dehydration affects biological processes at the cell–biomaterial interface. Degree of hydration and water molecules binding energy depends on macromolecular chains architecture, determines the mobility of polymer chains and
