Health & Medicine
Ending the debate: Routine or selective cholangiography during gallstone surgery?
Symptomatic gallstones are common in the Western world and treatment of choice is surgical removal of the gallbladder (cholecystectomy). During surgery, an x-ray procedure called intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) gives the surgeon information on the anatomy and whether gallstones have migrated from the gallbladder to the deep bile ducts. The procedure helps avoid certain surgical complications and prevent problems from retained […]
Screening frailty: A predictor of healthcare requirements in older people
People are living longer, and this is associated with increased pressure on healthcare services. Assessing how much support people need allows resources to be used effectively and patients to receive the best care. Frailty is associated with poorer health and more complications – but the condition can be hard to characterise. Maider Mateo-Abad and Dr Itziar Vergara at the Biodonostia […]
From friend to foe: Food strains share their toxic genes in E. coli
Food-borne bacteria can cause life-threatening disease, yet it is still unclear why some strains are tolerated by the host. To find an answer, a project led by Professor Rosa del Carmen Rocha-Gracia (Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico) and Professor Manel Camps (University of California Santa Cruz, USA) analysed the genetic diversity of Escherichia coli populations, comparing isolates from food […]
Metabolic dysfunction: The liver and beyond
The liver is the centre of our metabolism, with metabolic dysfunction playing a pivotal role in liver diseases and type 2 diabetes. Despite extensive study, the mechanisms underlying these pathologies remain largely unexplained. Professor Philipp Kaldis of Lund University, Sweden, has collaborated with fellow researchers to investigate the role of metabolites during metabolic dysfunction in these diseases. Motivated by the goal […]
Lead ammunition used by hunters has us all in its sights
For millions of people, game meat is their primary source of protein, but if the animal is shot using lead (Pb) ammunition, its meat can be toxic. The lead in the ammunition also finds its way into wildlife, ecosystems, and the global food chain, taking the poison far beyond the gun barrel. There are non-lead alternatives, but hunters are slow […]
The human vomeronasal organ: To preserve or not?
There is an ongoing debate among scientists regarding the significance of the vomeronasal organ (VNO), a small defined area of uncertain function inside the nose in humans. During nasal surgery, this organ can be permanently damaged, thereby ceasing any associated function. Dr Tjasse D Bruintjes, ear, nose, and throat surgeon at Leiden University Medical Center, and Dr Ronald LAW Bleys, […]
From mice to men: Will we soon be able to restore hearing loss?
Globally, hearing impairment is a common disability – especially among elderly adults. Hearing loss caused by damaged sensory receptor cells (hair cells) inside the ear cannot be reversed – and regeneration of this type of cell does not occur in humans. Associate Professor Brandon Cox and colleagues at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, USA, have been studying the regeneration […]
More than intention: Towards better collaboration within mental healthcare
The Netherlands prides itself on its commitment to caring for citizens with mental health issues, as well as having a first-rate healthcare system. However, that system has come under considerable strain lately. Anneloes van den Broek PhD, MHA, and Margot Metz PhD, both senior mental healthcare practitioners and researchers at GGz Breburg and Tilburg University, together with full professor Inge […]
The success of simple metaphors in communicating brain science
The Alberta Family Wellness Initiative, supported by the Calgary-based Palix Foundation, has succeeded in achieving individual, organisational, and systems level change regarding brain development, epigenetics, mental health, and addiction. The Brain Story, which uses simple metaphors to communicate complex brain science, has proven an effective tool to achieve this change and move towards building more resilient individuals and communities. Until […]
Loneliness and social isolation: How can we protect our mental health and cognitive functions?
It is well known that social isolation can cause poor mental and physical health. Our recent global experience of compulsory social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic has created a need to find new ways to prevent its devastating consequences, such as anxiety-induced cognitive decline, from manifesting. Dr Jing Liang and her team at the University of Southern California’s Mann School […]