Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: biotech/medical – Page 23

Using high-energy sparks to degrade pollutants without generating waste

A study published in the Chemical Engineering Journal proposes a new approach to environmental remediation of pharmaceutical pollutants in water flows. This approach is based on a phenomenon known as “sparks,” which refers to the sparks that appear on the surface of a metal when it is subjected to plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO).

During PEO, a metal part (in this case, aluminum) is immersed in a liquid to which an electrical voltage is applied. This results in the growth of an oxide coating. During the process, micro-electrical discharges, or sparks, appear. These sparks last for fractions of a second and cover a small area. However, they lead to very high temperatures, which is why they are nicknamed the “second sun.” This treatment is used on aluminum, magnesium, titanium, and other metal parts in the aerospace, automotive, medical, and electronics industries to create an oxide coating that improves the resistance of the material to corrosion and heat.

Smart materials and drug delivery could exploit lipid molecules that reorganize at drying interfaces

Minor changes in moisture level can promote lipid molecules to reorganize themselves in biomaterial or biomembranes. This can affect how the skin, lungs and tear film protect us from dehydration. This new discovery from Lund University in Sweden could be the inspiration for smart materials and new drug delivery techniques.

Imagine a membrane that separates dry air from a moist interior. When moisture levels become lower, the lipid molecules organize themselves in an adaptive way—and now researchers in Lund have characterized this process.

“What surprised me was how powerful the sorting of the lipid molecules was even at small changes in the moisture level. I had not expected this based on what we know about the systems in conditions where there is no evaporation,” says Nikol Labecka, researcher in chemistry at Lund University.

Got milk? how T cells shape lactation and beyond

Lactation supports babies’ immune health and reduces the risk of breast cancer for the mother.

TrendsInImmunology.

Lactation is increasingly recognized as an immune-regulated process. Immune cells shape mammary gland development, coordinate tissue remodeling, and aid in milk production with lasting consequences for maternal health. Here, we summarize recent advances on the roles and dynamics of T cells in the mammary gland during lactation and beyond.

DEGS1-Related Hypomyelinating LeukodystrophyFour Individuals From Same Family and Review of Literature

Degs1-related hypomyelinating leukodystrophy: four individuals from same family and review of literature.

ObjectivesDEGS1-related leukodystrophy has been described in 33 individuals to date with varying degrees of neurologic symptoms and atrophy/hypomyelination on MRI brain. We describe a family of 4 individuals with DEGS1-related leukodystrophy with phenotypic heterogeneity both within the family and in previously reported individuals.

Jumping DNA Sequences Drive Early Tumor Growth

New research reveals that LINE-1 retrotransposons don’t just nudge genes, they also trigger massive structural upheavals early in cancer development.

Read about the findings.

Where there’s a bountiful host, there are parasites ready to take advantage of the resources. This holds true even at microscopic levels. Lying within human DNA are repetitive elements called LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposons that promote their own propagation at the cost of the host organism’s health.1 These genetic parasites create copies of themselves that then get inserted at new locations within the genome. Until recently, scientists thought that the activity of L1s mostly resulted in local alterations to genes.

Now, in a new study published in Science, researchers have demonstrated that L1s can trigger dramatic structural changes in DNA, resulting in cancer-causing mutations.2 These findings, which shed light on the intricate relationship between cancer evolution and the genome, could lead to improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for different cancers.

“Cancer genomes are more influenced by these jumping fragments of DNA parasites than we previously thought,” said José Tubio, a molecular biologist at the University of Santiago de Compostela, in a statement.

Two δ-catenins, plakophilin 4 and p120, promote formation of distinct types of adherens junctions

Indrajyoti Indra, Sergey M. Troyanovsky et al. (Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine) show that two δ-catenins, p120 and plakophilin-4, promote distinct cadherin clustering modes, α-catenin–dependent and α-catenin–independent, respectfully, thereby generating different types of adherens junctions.

This website uses a security service to protect against malicious bots. This page is displayed while the website verifies you are not a bot.

Reference Handbook of Gynecologic Pelvic MRI

Accurate interpretation of gynecologic pelvic MRI depends on tailored protocols, thorough anatomic knowledge, and a systematic lesion-based approach. This review outlines classification by lesion origin and tissue composition.

MRI is used routinely in patients with gynecologic conditions due to its superior soft-tissue contrast and multiplanar capability. It can provide a detailed assessment of pelvic anatomy, lesion origin, tissue characteristics, and disease extent. Its indications include (a) characterizing US-indeterminate adnexal masses, (b) evaluating the cause of pelvic pain and abnormal uterine bleeding, © mapping symptomatic uterine leiomyomas and differentiating them from uterine sarcomas, (d) staging gynecologic cancers, and (e) addressing complex congenital müllerian duct anomalies. Additional indications include evaluating for pelvic floor dysfunction, fistulas, or placental abnormalities.

This article aims to enhance the interpretation of female pelvic MRI for gynecologic conditions. After outlining patient preparation, tailored MRI protocols, and the normal female pelvic anatomy, a step-by-step approach to interpretation is presented, focusing on evaluating lesion origin, lesion tissue composition, and solid tissue morphology (Fig 1). The review also emphasizes the importance of incorporating the patient’s clinical history to narrow the differential diagnosis and the role of disease-specific structured reporting in improving communication (Fig 1).

Does suppression of HIV replication protect against severe M

tuberculosis infection?

Philana Ling Lin & team report on SIV/ART/TB models, finding antiretroviral treatment reduces pulmonary TB pathology, yet does not prevent extrapulmonary spread of TB.

1Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

2Center for Vaccine Research.

3Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and.

4Division of Laboratory Animal Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Continue reading “Does suppression of HIV replication protect against severe M” | >

/* */