Category Archives: Research
Less may be more in catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent heart rhythm disorder worldwide; at present, it affects more than 33 million subjects globally and it is expected that its prevalence will double over the next 50 years. The condition
Astroglial magnetic fields and cortical neuronal coupling
In recent years, it has been demonstrated an increasing role of astrocytes in information processing and cognitive functions, which depends on the close relationship between neurons and astrocytes into the cerebral cortex. The mammalian cerebral cortex is
Pubic hair grooming and public health. A key role for the doctor in counselling his patients?
We think there’s a role of counselling for health practitioners related to the practice of hair grooming. Despite the lack of controlled studies, it could be dangerous to deny the possibility of infectious risks related with this
Biotyping P. acnes: first step for a proper clinical treatment
Propionibacterium acnes is an anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria member of the usual skin microbiota. This bacterium is able to growth in the sebaceous gland and in the hair follicles where the sebum provide anaerobic environment and nutrients. In
UFACS3: A fast and reliable method for the isolation of three non-parenchymal liver cell types from one mouse
Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver disease due to a viral infection or to repeated exposures to alcohol, drugs or unhealthy food. Upon liver damage, a cascade of cellular interactions is initiated to collectively try to restore
Better, faster, wider – polymer stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal displays and beyond
One may rightly think that the development of liquid crystal displays (LCD) has led to a revolution of the market for screens, displays and TVs, and one may wonder if present day displays can still be improved,
D-amino acid profile would be varied depending on the storage time of fermented food
Although the natural amino acids are dominated by l-amino acids, various fermented foods are known to contain many d-amino acids. The enantiospecific modulation of amino acids might be caused by fermentation bacterial metabolism during manufacturing and storage
Creating artificial enzymes from small building blocks
Artificial enzymes were first described several decades ago and have become an ambition for bionanomaterial sciences. Artificial enzymes are small fabricated molecules that possess an active centre, which binds to a substrate and catalyses a chemical reaction.
Survival determinism: a common perspective to disease, development and evolution
Survival determinism is a concept referring to a broad set of genetic mechanisms for self-survival proposed to be innate to every living entity. I have argued that such mechanisms would be present since the dawn of evolution,
How engineered nanoparticles are affecting the treatment of wastewater
In recent years, engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) have been incorporated into a variety of consumer products such as technology, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and clothing to name but a few. ENPs can be defined as intentionally created particles sized 1-100
Features of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells activation with interferon gamma for clinical use
Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are very attractive for cell therapy. For the healing of severe defects in connective tissue (bone, cartilage, fat) their ability to differentiate into various elements of connective tissue origin is used. Their
Erasable opto-thermoelectric printing
Chemically synthesized micro- and nanoparticles, termed as colloidal particles, are promising as building blocks of novel functional devices. To build desired functional devices, one needs to print colloidal particles from aqueous solutions onto solid-state substrates. Light has
Mechanical injury in plants triggers local and long distance response using biochemical signals
It is well-known that when the mammal skin undergoes a physical injury there is a local response to repair the damage cells but, at the same time, there is also a diversity of signals that stimulate the
Amitriptyline increases salivary flow in treatment-resistant burning mouth syndrome: What is the underlying mechanism?
Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is characterized by intolerable pain in the mouth with no underlying dental or medical causes, and sometimes accompanied with complaints of xerostomia. BMS patients showed lower salivary flow and higher salivary spinnability. Salivary
Melatonin protects the powerhouses of cells, the mitochondria
Mitochondria have been named the ‘powerhouses of cells’, because they are the main source of ATP, a carrier molecule of chemical energy for versatile use in numerous metabolic reactions. ATP is generated by the electron transport chain
Preferential binding of Inorganic Mercury to specific lipids and its competition with Cadmium
Mercury is a heavy metal with well-established toxicity that exists in several forms in the environment including elemental, organic and inorganic mercury (Hg), which is the metal form of interest in this study. In addition to toxic
Aryepiglottic fold augmentation for late onset dysphagia after recurrent laryngeal neuropathy in horse
Coughing and dysphagia are known post surgical complications following prosthetic laryngoplasty for laryngeal hemiplegia, subsiding with time in most cases. The author observed a delayed onset of dysphagia following this surgery in a small number of patients.
Lung infections and the origins of rheumatoid arthritis
Five percent of individuals worldwide develop an autoimmune disease. The causes of the majority of autoimmune diseases is unknown. But it is recognised that various tissues are damaged by over-activation of our immune system in response to
Can greater perceptions of inequality negatively impact physical health?
Stress has been linked to a wide range of deleterious outcomes extending from obesity to cardiovascular problems to increases in depression and anxiety, and even an increased risk of mortality. Even more troubling is that stress is
Amikacin analysis and aerosol particle size distribution (aPSD) determination using charged aerosol detector (CAD)
Amikacin, a broad spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic derived from kanamycin A, is commonly used for treating severe, hospital – acquired infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria. The analysis of this molecule has always been challenging because it does not
