Articles Archives

Health & Medicine

How we experience pain may unlock the mystery of consciousness

In a recent publication, Professor Richard Ambron of Columbia University in New York, USA, addresses the fascinating topic of consciousness. He reasons that if we can understand the consciousness of pain, we might better understand consciousness in general. He outlines the neurological systems involved in pain and theorises that the consciousness of pain arises through non-physical ‘waves’ known as local […]

Health & Medicine

Why do women experience more chronic pain than men?

Chronic pain is poorly managed by current healthcare systems, with limited treatments. However, little is known about chronic pain, especially in autoimmune diseases. Dr Gurmit Singh and colleagues at McMaster University, Canada, have investigated whether chronic pain should be considered an autoimmune disease and why chronic pain is more common in women. They have identified various explanations as to why women […]

Biology

The origin of hair: The evolution of the trichocyte

Hair is a defining feature of mammals and was essential for their adaptation to a range of ecological niches. To shine a light on the evolution of hair, Professor Thomas Litman of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and Professor Wilfred D Stein of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, investigate the ancient origins of the proteins which interact structurally with […]

Arts & Humanities

#MeToo: A political issue in India’s digital presence

#MeToo and #MeTooIndia, which exploded on social media in 2017 and 2018 respectively, drove an increase in online activism related to sexual violence, harassment, assault, and rape. Despite this and the significant numbers of women voters and political candidates, violence against women still fails to feature as a political campaign issue in India. Dr. Pallavi Guha, a researcher and author […]

Health & Medicine

Self-assembled nanomaterials fight viral outbreaks

Developing efficient ways to treat viral infections and control their spread in humans and animals has become a worldwide priority, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditional approaches to creating vaccines suffer from very long development and testing times which make them unsuitable for treating new viral infections. Dr Alaa F Nahhas at King Abdulaziz University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, shows […]

Physical Sciences

Building acoustic computers with tuneable phononic crystals

For more than two decades, physicists have been investigating wave propagation in phononic crystals, a metamaterial designed to control sound waves. A recent consideration involves using phononic crystals in acoustic computing. Acoustic computers execute basic Boolean algebra computations using acoustic waves. Dirac cones make this possible but achieving them is both very difficult and rare. Professor Sourav Banerjee and his […]

Physical Sciences

Recycling refinery final molasses with ionic membranes

Refinery final molasses is one of the key products in the industrial production of sugar from sugarcane, and its global annual output reaches 55 million tonnes. Although molasses is rich in nutrition, it contains colloids, pigments, and toxic substances, and only a small fraction of it is traded internationally. Using a new technology involving purification with ionic membranes and fermentation, […]

Biology

How oxidative stress contributes to neurodegenerative diseases

The human brain relies on a constant energy supply that when compromised, neurodegenerative disease ensues, initially disrupting nerve cell communication followed by nerve cell death. Paul Hyslop and Michael Chaney investigate fundamental mechanisms driving neurodegenerative disease, to identify therapeutic interventions. They focus on how an enzyme integral to energy supply to nerve cells, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) – is inhibited and […]

Health & Medicine

Spiking of urinary biomarker with exercise: A marker of muscle inflammation?

Seeking a sensitive biomarker of inflammation, Emeritus Professor Isao Okayasu of Kiryu University and Kitasato University, Japan and his colleagues have spent over two decades investigating chronic organ inflammation and its links to cancer. They have developed methods to measure prostaglandin E-major urinary metabolite (PGE-MUM) as a surrogate marker, which has opened the door for its investigation in different physiological […]

Health & Medicine

Identification of a novel key player in lupus disease opens the door to treatment

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease, the precise cause of which is still unclear. Through dedicated work, Professor Shunichi Shiozawa from Kobe University, Japan, uncovers the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of systemic autoimmunity and identifies a novel key player. Shiozawa demonstrates that overstimulation of the host’s immune system by an immunogenic pathogen kickstarts the generation of […]