Category Archives: Research
How leaf beetle produce toxins to defend themselves
Leaf beetles are insects that consume and destroy the leaves of the plants on which they live (host plant). Therefore, these beetles are pests of their corresponding host plant and cause economic damage, if this host plant
Protein structures: the evolutionary time capsules
If you wanted to probe life’s origins, billions of years back, how could you do it? You’d need a preserved message from different points in history, time capsules left by evolution. Amazingly, evolution has left such time
Small fish can help finding drugs to fight retina diseases
About 285 million people are visually impaired in the world. The arising of chronic eye diseases and ageing processes make more people at risk of blindness, 65% of visually impaired people being aged 50 or older. Among
Comparison of the C-MAC video laryngoscope to a flexible fiberoptic scope for intubation
Laryngoscopy is a medical procedure performed by anesthesiologists for the purpose of placing a breathing tube into the airway (trachea) of unconscious patients undergoing surgical procedures or with traumatic head and neck injuries. This procedure is technically
Risky attraction to the familiar smell of disease
Many animals remember smells, sights, and sounds (‘cues’) they encounter as juveniles, like the smell of nearby individuals, or their environment. These memorised (or ‘imprinted’) cues can help identify important individuals, such as members of the same
Of flies and men: investigating human disease in fruit flies
My lab studies diseases which affect the neurons connecting our brains to the muscles throughout our bodies, called motor neurons. In particular, we are interested in the hereditary spastic paraplegias (or HSPs for short), a group of
Lesbian and gay service members: life after don’t ask, don’t tell
Being lesbian or gay in the world is more difficult than being straight. People who identify as lesbian or gay are more likely to be rejected by their parents, families, friends and religious institutions, and are sometimes
A novel human R25C-phospholamban mutation induces depressed contraction force and irregular beat in the heart
Heart failure refers to the inability of the heart to pump enough blood to the periphery and meet the body’s demands for energy and oxygen. The symptoms of heart failure commonly include shortness of breath, asthma, fatigue and leg swelling. Currently, heart failure is
How the extracellular matrix affects the cells within us
All animals, including humans, are affected by the environment in which they live—the cells within our bodies are no different. Cells live in a dynamic fibrous and fluid network that contains many biopolymers that provide structural support
Share your data – but not with terrorists! Why we need better policy on sharing scientific data
Scientists traditionally publish experimental findings in peer-reviewed journals. Articles generally contain a small portion of the total data produced in the course of successful and unsuccessful experiments. Recent advances in digital technologies and the internet have made
Towards development of an automatic screening device for early detection of atrial fibrillation
Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is an abnormal heart rhythm which is associated with high risk of stroke, dementia, and death. AF is affecting approximately 1% of people around the world. Screening of AF for potential patients including all
New promises from targeting stromal-cancer cell crosstalk in glioblastoma
Glioblastoma (GB) is the most frequent primary brain tumor in adults. The prognosis of GB is poor: median survival time is less than one year since the diagnosis and patients usually die within two years. Standard therapy,
Children with ADHD may benefit from following healthy behaviors
A new study shows that children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder follow fewer healthy lifestyle behaviors than non-ADHD youth, suggesting that they may benefit from improving lifestyle choices such as increasing water consumption, decreasing screen time
Discovery of potential anti-breast cancer agents dual targeting ER and VEGFR-2
Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in females worldwide. Among all BC patients, more than 70% are diagnosed as estrogen receptor positive (ER+). Estrogen is the primary female hormone which is responsible for the development
Ventral medial prefrontal cortex: is it a brain target for drug-seeking control?
A weak direct current applied non-invasively (transcranial Direct Current Stimulation – tDCS) over the scalp in both sides over the frontal lateral region of the head, corresponding to what it is called as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex,
Cellular barcoding: giving names to every stem cell
There are many different cell types in the blood, all of different functions and shapes. All these cells are made by the stem cells by a process of lineage commitment and differentiation. How can we monitor this
Can imaging of improve our understanding of cardiovascular disease?
The development of new ways for imaging the heart has contributed significantly to our understanding of cardiovascular disease. Combined positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET-CT) allows us to visualize in great detail the anatomy of the
Dental fillings with anti-inflammatory effect
Toothaches are promoted by deep caries lesions and crown fractures. It occurs due to an inflammatory process in pulp tissue, which is the vascularized and innervated tissue in the most internal portion of tooth. Early and conservative
ECG features can predict peripartum cardiomyopathy
Researchers have found out for the first time from women who have recently delivered in Kano, Nigeria, that using three ECG disturbances could predict Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) with 83.8% accuracy. PPCM is a disease that causes heart
How the brain consolidates memory during deep sleep
We spend a third of our lives sleeping. During sleep, our brains are decoupled from sensory input. Nevertheless, brain activity remains high and varies by sleep stages. Sleep is broadly classified into non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep (consists
