Category Archives: Research
Could the humble banana help mitigate diseases?
Musa acuminata, is the scientific name of the wild species of banana that has reinvigorated interest in finding cures for diseases such as cancer, HIV and many more. The wild banana habituates the tropical and subtropical regions
Is apolipoprotein C3 always bad for your health?
Apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) is a small protein of blood, produced by liver and intestine. Our knowledge of APOC3 functions in relation to human health and disease remains limited, albeit human Apoc3 gene nucleotide sequence was identified more
Complete genome sequencing of Streptomyces sp. MOE7 that produces biologically active extracellular polysaccharide
Members of the genus Streptomyces are filamentous bacteria, considered the largest genus of Actinobacteria. Bacteria of this genus are considered among the most important soil bacteria as they are well known sources of many important biologically active
Breathing problems in Parkinson’s disease: a common problem, rarely diagnosed
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease. It is characterized by bradykinesia (slowness in movement) tremor, rigidity, and postural instability. Potential non-motor manifestations of PD include depression, anxiety, constipation, overactive bladder
Understanding cardiac arrhythmias using an embryonic stem cell model
Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent and have the capability to differentiate into almost all cell types of the body. Thus, they offer great potential for regenerative medicine such as cell-based therapies and basic research purposes including disease
Using rewards to induce better eating behaviors in children: evidence from a field experiment
According to the Centers for Disease Control, a substantial portion of children—8.9% of two to five-year olds and 21.9% of six to 11 year-olds—can be categorized as obese. Given the adverse effects of pediatric obesity on dietary
Cs adsorption sites in clay influenced by solution concentration
Since the nuclear crisis at Fukushima, the Cs decontamination works have yielded a large amount of contaminated soil. The urgency of reducing the volume of contaminated soil has become a serious concern with respect to the acceleration
As simple method for the rapid analysis of radiostrontium in drinking water, river water and seawater
Radiostrontium (mainly strontium-90, 90Sr) belongs to the radionuclides, which are emitted to the environment when nuclear fission gets out of control. The main source is from bomb fallout. Radiostrontium was released to the environment from 1945…1970, when
Watching electrons make and break bonds
Since quantum mechanics is the most accurate way to describe chemical bonds, it is also the most accurate way to describe the making and breaking of bonds in chemical reactions. However, even with powerful computers, it is
An ionic liquid in water
Since about the turn of this century, studies on a group of salts called “ionic liquids” (IL) have been gained a large attention. While they are ionic compounds their melting points are much lower than normal inorganic
Anomalous arterial supply to the colon refuses to obey the embryonic hernia model
In 2009 and the following 2010, we have encountered the first case (Case 1) and the second case (Case 2) of anomalous arterial blood supply to the colon in our anatomical practice for the medical students. The
Turing instability: life’s unique defiance of the second law of thermodynamics
Our psychological ‘arrow of time’ is conditioned by the Second Law of Thermodynamics, i.e. by the law of increase in entropy. A drop of blue ink will spread in water, as would white milk in black coffee.
Novel structural features of cowpea cystatins explain their remarkable stability to temperature and pH
Proteinase inhibitors are proteins that regulate the fate of proteolysis in animal and plant organisms. Phytocystatins are plant inhibitors targeting cysteine proteinases from endogenous origins, like that encountered in papaya and pineapple fruits, as well as proteases
Chemically-stimulated production of receptors and ion channels in insect cells
Because primary cultures of insect cells are laborious to produce and maintain and have relatively short term cellular longevity, they are inadequate for insecticide screening, but do have utility for pharmacological experiments. Insecticide discovery by industry typically
P2X7 antagonism: a specific tool to decrease inflammatory status in human atherosclerotic vessels?
Atherosclerosis is a dynamic progressive disease of the large arteries characterized by the tendency to accumulate lipids, inflammatory cells, smooth muscle cells and extracellular matrix within the sub-endothelial space, and progressing in unpredictable way to different stage.
Rapid identification of respiratory syncytial virus
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of severe lower respiratory tract diseases in infancy and early childhood. A rapid, simple, and accurate plaque assay for RSV identification is one of the most important procedures in
Unraveling the need of vitamin E during early embryonic brain development
During early vertebrate development, the dorsal ectoderm forms the primordium of the central nervous system along the rostro-caudal axis: the neural tube. The closure of the neural tube is a complex process that depends on adequate genetic
If you need a reason to become a furry pet lover, how about their ability to help protect kids from allergies and obesity?
For decades, we have known that children growing up with furry pets have lower rates of asthma than those who do not, an observation attributed to the hygiene hypothesis. As our knowledge of the human microbiome has
Micro-Flow Imaging: spotlight on PLGA microparticle agglomeration
Since the 1980s, engineers are capable of precisely controlling fluids inside channels of a few microliter or less. Recent advances in microfluidics have led to the development of powerful analytical techniques. One of those techniques is Micro-Flow
Internal structure of scaly armor enables bite resistance in the African Pangolin
Natural materials often exhibit excellent mechanical properties that are packaged within lightweight structures. This exceptional performance of natural materials is achieved through efficient use of architectural design, which is difficult to replicate synthetically. Recent efforts in solid
