Author: Renāte Apse Who would imagine drawing an equal sign between the placenta and cancer cells? Obviously, the structures are not identical, but they both interact with immune system in a similar way. Placenta helps scientists to understand what cancer does to the immune system, so that it can survive. It all began in an unexpected
From the Pit to the Pinnacle – 100 years of fighting death [Part 2]
Author: Valdis Ģībietis Previously on Semper Anticus blog… We are time-traveling 100 years back to 1919. It turns out that getting ill during such a trip is a very life-threatening experience. We have already covered two pessimistic scenarios – pneumonia with no antibiotics and myocardial infarction with no real treatment at all (link here). Let’s move
From the Pit to the Pinnacle – 100 years of fighting death
Author: Valdis Ģībietis Have you ever dreamed of being able to time-travel back to some historic moment in time? To see beyond the static black-and-white photograph frame that may be our only way of taking a glimpse into the long-gone times. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a few days off, say, 100 years ago, in
The first editions of the journal “Latvijas ārsts”: travelling in time and reflections in modern times
Author: Talivaldis Kronbergs It would seem that you must choose a far and unknown destination, as well as a distant and inviting century for a journey in time. However, it could also be interesting to look at a time, which on the grand scale would seem like it was almost yesterday.
Can’t sleep? Could be because of your genes
Author: Daira Trušinska What is insomnia? Sleep is one of the basic human needs required for good health and quality of life. Every now and then many of us experience restless nights when the events of the day or the anticipation of what’s to come keeps us from drifting into a peaceful sleep. According to data,
Ask Me Anything – Dr Artūrs Miksons
Anna: First, I have a question from myself – when we (“Semper Anticus”) reached out to you with an offer to participate in this “AMA”, you said that you “would be happy to get involved in this venture”. This raises the question – are you a venturer and do you often participate in things for
“You may say – I am a dreamer, but I am not the only one”
Author: Renāte R. Apse We all have found ourselves mesmerized over what dreaming is and whether dreams have meanings. What exactly is the purpose of dreaming? Why is our biological system programmed to dream?
Can’t lose weight?
Author: Judīte Lukša Human weight is influenced by many different factors such as diet, exercise, genetics, environment, hormones. But did you know that your weight is also affected by the microorganisms in your body? There is a saying that you’re never dining alone. And it’s true, because every time you eat anything, you’re feeding a
Christmas Gifts: A Medical Analysis
Author: Kamiar K. Rueckert and Lydia Boyette As a child, I had a marvelous time during Christmas. I ate cookies, marzipan and lebkuchen until I decided to play outside in the snow. My Christmastime schedule consisted of snowball fights and sledding which was in stark contrast to the math or German classes of a typical
A tale about a bacterium which learned to live together with other bacteria
Author: Kristīne Maķe Nowadays, most people know what bacterial infections are and how to treat them “correctly”. Anyone working in the medical field is aware of the mechanisms bacteria can use to become our body’s worst enemy. Even for people outside of the medical world, the word “infection” is not alien. Thanks to the technological