Low-grade but persistent inflammation is also thought to contribute to the progression of fibrosis in cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Indeed, in many fibrotic disorders, a persistent inflammatory trigger is crucial to the activation of the wound-healing program that leads to fibrosis.
Knickknacks are small objects which people keep as ornaments or toys, rather than for a particular use. Knickknacks filled three display cases and covered all the table tops. COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary.
It is from dialectal British snark, meaning 'to nag, find fault with', which is probably the same word as snark, snork, meaning 'to snort, snore'. (The likely connection is the derisive snorting sound of someone who is always finding fault.) Most dictionaries label snarky as Chiefly British Slang..