Soft-diet feeding impairs olfactory functions via changes in neural connections
Mastication ability correlates with cognitive impairment in elderly persons. A longitudinal study of aging and Alzheimer’s disease indicates that participants with the fewest teeth had the highest prevalence and risk of incidence of dementia. There are abnormalities
Keyhole heart valve surgery after previous heart transplantation
Advances in heart transplant techniques and medication that control rejection and infections resulted in improved survival and quality of life. These improved long term outcomes are unfortunately paralleled by a variety of associated coronary-, mitral- and tricuspid
Hormones and endocrine disruptor compounds
Endocrine Disruptor Compounds (EDCs) are molecules, natural or synthetic, that happen to interfere with the endocrine network of vertebrates, provoking adverse dysregulation of the hormonally – controlled physiological parameters or functions. This interference can occur through different
Dilemma of a beneficial narcotic analgesic: Tramadol
Tramadol is a known opioid drug that is used worldwide to relieve moderate to severe pain. It is the sole over-the-counter narcotic drug, meaning that it can be purchased without a physician prescription. Most people can enjoy
How to turn bacterial metabolism into a deadly antibacterial weapon
The development of bacterial infections on and around biomedical materials, ranging from hip implants to wound dressings, is a large and growing problem. Biomaterial-associated infections are challenging to treat because bacteria tend to form colonies, called biofilms,
A new method to study gait analysis in children with Cerebral Palsy and the effects of surgery on gait
Gait and movement capabilities of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) are often assessed by clinicians by direct observation and qualitative clinical scales. Sometimes, video recordings are used to document changes in gait over times or after treatments,
Plant based diets can help lower blood pressures of women in the U.S.
Approximately 65% of adults over 60 years in the US are hypertensive. Poor dietary habits and sedentary lifestyles are fueling the hypertension epidemic. Higher consumption of plant foods can help lower blood pressures in developed countries. Moreover,
Sub-mitochondrial map of intermembrane space bridging components
Our work reports on generally applicable tools for the biological community that are now allowing researchers to address one of the most commonly asked questions in biomedical research, “What is interacting with or in proximity with a
Lung “life support”: Enter the era of improving the function of transplanted lungs
Lung transplantation is a relatively new science, with the first successful transplant being performed in 1983 in Toronto, Canada. Almost all transplants performed in this country involve the removal of the lungs from a deceased donor, flushing
Inactive bears don’t get blood clots like humans!
Blood clots are a common problem for humans who are sedentary. They frequently form in the veins of the legs and can then travel to the lung or brain causing serious complications, including death. This is frequently
Mother or father obesity may lead to offspring obesity in the adult life
The process by which early life factors influence offspring health in adulthood is defined as ‘fetal programming’ and is considered a key mechanism for the establishment of chronic diseases in the offspring adulthood. Given the obesity pandemic,
Are Indian adolescents moving towards an unhealthy future?
Over the last decade, adolescent obesity has emerged as a major public health challenge in India. It is recognised as a potential risk factor for a number of non-communicable diseases including heart disease, pulmonary disease, type 2
Pancreaticobiliary reflux (PBR) and biliopancreatic reflux (BPR) can be diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
The pancreaticobiliary junction is a complex structure composed of the biliary and pancreatic ducts, which pass through the wall of the duodenum and lead to the ampulla of Vater, which is itself surrounded by sphincter of Oddi.
Physical activity and blood pressure in a Mediterranean population of not hypertensive adults
The importance of blood pressure (BP) control for the prevention of the main cardiovascular diseases emerges in the general population. Anthropometric characteristics and lifestyle habits have been widely recognized to influence BP values. A relevant role has
New psychoactive substances and drugs of abuse inhibit the reuptake of monoamines via monoamine transporters
The use of illicit drugs is high and 5% of the population worldwide used an illicit drug in the last year. While the prevalence of use of these common drugs is decreasing, the use of new psychoactive
Ultrapure cells for liver research
Worldwide, hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma cause considerable human suffering and high economic burdens. Causally responsible for the accumulation of excess scar tissue within the diseased liver are hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) representing 5-8% of the
A new drug combination rescues a rare Cystic Fibrosis mutation in patient tissue
University of Toronto researchers in the laboratory of Dr. Christine Bear, together with collaborators at SickKids Hospital (Toronto, Canada) and Proteostasis Therapeutics (Cambridge, Massachusetts), used computer simulations, cell-based systems and patient tissue to interrogate the consequences of
Child sexual abuse research quality needs to be improved
Child sexual abuse is a significant worldwide problem which results in major negative individual, family and community consequences. In response, prevention programs have become commonplace in schools. Given the evident seriousness of the consequences of sexual abuse
The physical entrapment of milk fat in cheese products impacts structure and functionality
Fats are an integral part of many food products, contributing to texture, flavor, and satiety aspects. In general, fats exist as a mixture of both solid and liquid triglycerides, where the solid fraction assembles into crystalline domains
Combining radiation with a PI3K/MTOR inhibitor
Patients with HPV-negative head and neck cancer (HNSCC) carry a poor prognosis despite optimal treatment with chemoradiation, with a 5 year survival of less than 50%. The future for this disease must lie in further escalation of
