Category Archives: Research
Female pattern hair loss, biological ageing and the Leiden Longevity study
People age at different rates and individuals with the same chronological age vary widely in terms of health and function. Biological age describes the difference between the population cohort average life expectancy and the perceived life expectancy
Pancreatic incidentalomas: is laparoscopic approach safe and feasible?
Pancreatic incidentaloma is an asymptomatic incidentally lesion detected on a radiologic imaging performed for unrelated indication. This definition has been proposed for adrenal mass but actually the term is used for asymptomatic masses discovered in different solid
Viewing more than the tip of the iceberg: speech therapists learn to report on the whole of the swallow!
When we take a sip of our well-deserved cup of tea, it travels through our mouth, into our throat, passing our closed airway, through our food pipe and into our stomach. This process takes approximately 10 seconds.
Proteins regulate cancer cell attachment
Aggressive cancer cells are able to leave their original site and invade other tissues. In order for these cells to do this, they must have some way of moving around. This means that a cancer cell must
Are Internet lifestyle products counterfeit? A consumer-based survey
The use of lifestyle products has increased over the last few years particularly with the change in the social behaviour of individuals and the ease of access of medicines via the Internet. Lifestyle products can be of
New morphology of amyloid fibrils
It has been shown earlier that one of the proteins from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall (glucantransferase Bgl2) forms amyloid structures after isolation from cell wall under acid pH conditions. It is known that the acid treatment
Blue nevus of the uterine cervix – a melanocytic lesion corresponding to cutaneous blue nevi
Blue nevi are benign melanocytic disorders, which commonly present cutaneous lesions and rarely arise in female genital tracts. To date, although several cases of endocervical blue nevi have been reported, their biological nature is not sufficiently clarified.
Aldosterone enhances the magnesium permeable ion channel, TRPM7
The homeostatic regulation of salt (sodium) and water are basic functions of all organisms. In mammals, hormones such as aldosterone regulate the excretion and retention of water, sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, and magnesium within the kidneys. Special
Menthol strengthens nicotine rewarding effects
Menthol is a monocyclic terpene alcohol that exists in plants of the Mentha genus. It is commonly known as mint. Menthol is a significant flavoring additive in tobacco products. Menthol-labeled cigarettes account for approximately one-quarter of the
An organic gas instead of inorganic gases for the enhancement of 129Xe magnetic resonance signals through optical pumping
Several new methods have been developed in these two decades in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, which make us accessible to weak signals hitherto unmanageable because of the low sensitivity. Among them, spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP) can
Isoporphyrins – Bioinspired NIR-Dyes
A contemporary concept in cancer therapy relies on the use of light and oxygen for cancer cell destruction. This process called Photodynamic Therapy, or shortly PDT, is mediated by suitable dyes, which are applied locally to the
Engineering native microbiome with stable symbionts: Novel approach to sustain agriculture
The depletion of biosphere resources and the ever-growing global human population have necessitated development of several strategies to sustainable agriculture and secure food safety . Applications of chemical fertilizers and development of transgenic plants have improved the
Role of fermented beverages in the maintenance of weight loss
Obesity is an increasingly prevalent disease and is associated with multiple chronic complications, such as diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, increased risk of cancer, etc. These complications may be ameliorated or even disappear after small but maintained weight
Decreased vagally-mediated heart rate variability in a conditional NPY Y1 receptor knockout mouse
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a protein involved in the complex regulation of a variety of physiological functions that range from feeding to emotions. In the central nervous system NPY is able to influence autonomic nervous system regulation
Plantar insensitivity and reduced cutaneous reflex strength: potential risk factors for balance impairment?
Sensory input arising from skin receptors of the foot sole provides important information for controlling standing balance: a finding demonstrated by blocking the neural activity of skin receptors in young adults. As we age, our skin receptors
Structure and function of the esophageal mucosa
Structure and function go hand-in-hand amongst the morphology, morphometry, biomechanics and secretory potential within the alimentary tract mucosa, submucosa and muscularis propria. Structure must evolve first during the development of fetus and function follows closely and progressively
Green perspective in sample preparation prior to chromatographic analysis
Sample preparation is beyond any doubt the most demanding and at the same time the most challenging step of the analytical procedure, thus affecting the final performance of the whole analytical process in the analytical laboratory. Due
Glucocorticoids as a double-edge sword in the inflamed intestine
Chronic intestinal inflammation, in the form of the conditions ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, is relatively common. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are the therapy of choice for the treatment acute flares of these diseases, but they have significant limitations,
Heavy alcohol drinking and potassium channel genes
Alcohol use disorder is a chronic and relapsing brain disease that has damaging, sometimes deadly, consequences for the individual and costs society billions of dollars a year (approximately $223 billion). Despite alcohol use being one of the
Warm is better than cold: hypothermia in abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery
Most of us agree shivering is unpleasant. In patients undergoing surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) falls in temperature below a certain level can make the difference between a good and poor outcome. An AAA is usually
