Research Articles

Excerpt from article: In combination therapy, synergy is said to occur when the combined effect is greater than the sum of the individual effects. An additive effect is observed with the combined effect which is equal to the sum of the individual effects. Indifference is observed when there is no interaction between one another. Antagonism is defined when the combined effect is less than when the two compounds are individually applied. The reversal of resistance is said to occur when a synergistic outcome is observed. As an example, one of the strategies employed was to screen against β-lactamase producers and by mechanism-based inhibition of the active-site serine hydrolases for compounds that can antagonize the antibiotic-destroying hydrolases. Clavulanic acid (sulbactam or tazobactam) from a streptomycete in combination with amoxicillin was the outcome of this approach [34]. However, the victory against bacterial resistance did not last long; the frequent use of clavulanic acid ...

A continuation of the previous article concerning antibiotic resistance and essential oils. Here are some of the pathways resistant organisms use: THE PREVALENCE OF RESISTANCE MODIFYING CAPABILITY BY ESSENTIAL OILS Antimicrobial agents are classified based on their principal mechanisms of action. These mechanisms include interference with cell wall biosynthesis (β-lactams and glycopeptides agents), inhibition of bacterial protein synthesis (marcolides and tetracyclines), interference with nucleic acid synthesis (fluroquinolones and rifampin), inhibition of a metabolic pathway (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and disruption of bacterial membrane structure (polymyxins and daptomycin) [9]. Three main targets of antibiotics are cell wall, protein and nucleic acids biosynthesis. Throughout the years since antibiotic was introduced, bacteria have acquired various resistances to survive in the deluge of antibiotics. The mechanisms vary and make the work of mitigating the spread of resistance ...

It ain't always easy. Johannes Haushofer has posted his C.V. of failures which is an interesting look at the struggles we all face in life. For some, the doors open easy while for others, they are bolted, welded and sealed shut. Persistence is key and understanding that we are just human helps us in the journey. www.princeton.edu/~joha/Johannes_Haushofer_CV_of_Failures.pdf princeton.edu

http://nautil.us/issue/56/perspective/antonio-damasio-tells-us-why-pain-is-necessary F ollowing Oliver Sacks, Antonio Damasio may be the neuroscientist whose popular books have done the most to inform readers about the biological machinery in our heads, how it generates thoughts and emotions, creates a self to cling to, and a sense of transcendence to escape by. But since he published  Descartes’ Error  in 1994, Damasio has been concerned that a central thesis in his books, that brains don’t define us, has been muted by research that states how much they do. To Damasio’s dismay, the view of the human brain as a computer, the command center of the body, has become lodged in popular culture.

Twenty-seven years ago, a group of physicists made an accidental discovery that flipped mathematics on its head. The physicists were trying to work out the details of string theory when they observed a strange correspondence: Numbers emerging from one kind of geometric world matched exactly with very different kinds of numbers from a very different kind of geometric world. Mathematicians Explore Mirror Link Between Two Geometric Worlds | Quanta Magazine

Twenty-seven years ago, a group of physicists made an accidental discovery that flipped mathematics on its head. The physicists were trying to work out the details of string theory when they observed a strange correspondence: Numbers emerging from one kind of geometric world matched exactly with very different kinds of numbers from a very different kind of geometric world. Mathematicians Explore Mirror Link Between Two Geometric Worlds | Quanta Magazine

Scientists suggest that cancer is man-made Cancer is a modern, man-made disease caused by environmental factors such as pollution and diet, a study review by University of Manchester scientists has strongly suggested. https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/scientists-suggest-that-cancer-is-man-made/