Hospital, infections and the Matthew effect
Berlin’s Charité hospital, the city’s largest, has an illustrious past. Founded some 300 years ago, it became part of what is presently Humboldt University in 1810, and between1901-1908 three Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine were on
Keeping an “eye” on the structure and role of visual cycle proteins
Opsins are ocular proteins in photoreceptors that transform light energy to initiate signals for vision. Each opsin contains an 11-cis-retinal chromophore which is converted into all-trans-retinal when activated by a photon. The all-trans-retinal must be recycled back
First report describing the spatial-temporal circulation and the genetic diversity of Parapoxvirus species in Mexico
The Mexican-USA Commission for the Prevention and Diagnosis of Foot and Mouth Disease laboratory (CPA) plays a critical role for the diagnosis and surveillance of animal diseases in Mexico. In this level 3 biosecurity facility foreign viral
Be careful of podocyte B7-1
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a huge global health burden. If not treated promptly, CKD can progress to end-stage renal disease, meaning that kidney function is at below 10% of normal capacity. Under physiological conditions the kidneys
Superradient and subradient emission of molecules coupled via plasmons
A physical dipole consists of two equal and opposite point charges. Atoms and molecules can be viewed like oscillating dipoles, picturing each atom as a tiny antenna emitting electromagnetic waves. The excited atomic states are relaxing to
Taking medicines the right way: what do people with Parkinson’s do?
Many people with Parkinson’s have problems swallowing, but they need to take many medicines to lead an independent life. It is more important for people with Parkinson’s to take their medicines on time compared with other patient
Consciousness hidden in the brain fissure
Consciousness, informally stated as the subjective feeling of being, comprises of two basic components—arousal (wakefulness) and awareness (awareness of environment and self). Although the posteromedial cortex (PMC), an area hidden in the posterior interhemispheric fissure, has been
Ovarian torsion or something else
Ovarian torsion, also termed as adnexal torsion, is the total or partial twisting of the ovary and almost always involves part of the fallopian tube. The incidence of adnexal tumors increases with age and one of the
Oxygen starvation promotes pro-tumorigenic cytokine expression
Identification of the factors that trigger tumor formation and metastasis is a problem that has persisted in cancer research since its inception. To date, studies have focused on chemical signaling compounds that are part of the secretome
Prevalence and prevention of unwanted online sexual encounters among youth
Screens, smartphones, and devices are integral to the lives of young people and provide opportunities for positive social connection, learning, and entertainment. However, existing alongside the many rewards of technology are the risks of a new and
Should we (still) believe in the propagating nerve impulse as a purely electrical process?
Processing and integrating information in networks of discrete nerve cells is fundamental to all neural processes, from sensation to movement to cognition. Nerve cells are functionally polarized, making it imperative for the information to be communicated from
Root nodules of plants grown on salt–affected soils: A useful source for isolating salinity tolerant N2–fixing non–rhizobial bacteria
Salinity is one of the most significant environmental challenges limiting plant productivity, particularly in arid and semi–arid climates. Soil salinity affects about 800 million hectares of arable lands worldwide. Therefore, there is a need to exploit the
Wilms tumor and aneuploidy
Wilms’ tumor or nephroblastoma is an embryological tumor of infancy that belongs to the category of “small round blue cell tumors” (Fig. 1). Such tumors are characterized by an accentuated basophilia of the nuclei with a notable
Heparan sulphate; inspiration for new leishmaniasis drugs
Leishmaniasis is a group of tropical parasitic diseases caused by infection with the protozoan parasite Leishmania and is endemic in 98 countries, with approximately 2 million new cases annually. Infection occurs when someone is bitten by an
Marmosets know the meaning of a food call
Vocalisations that alert group-living animals to a food source play an essential role in survival. Do some species make specific calls for particular types of food (i.e., referential signals) and are these calls produced with the intention
Predicting Ebola outbreaks (while my guitar gently weeps)
Making a living as a rock musician can be hard (unless you are a star!): today your band plays here, tomorrow your band plays there… always on tour playing at clubs to earn some money. Animal migrations
Harbinger of increased prostate cancer risk: The effect of decreased prostate cancer screening
Since the introduction of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as a blood test in 1992, the number of men diagnosed with prostate cancer increased dramatically. Because PSA detects men who are asymptomatic two things occurred. First, many of the
Discovery of new genes in schizophrenia: the importance of rare diseases in psychiatry
Schizophrenia is a major psychiatric illness affecting one percent of the population worldwide. Patients suffering from schizophrenia present delusions, hallucinations, abnormal behavior, impairment in daily life and cognitive deficits. Current treatments are insufficient in addressing all of
Is the color of museum mammal specimens an acceptable representation of the color of live animals?
Existing collections in Natural History Museums are often the basis of numerous studies in taxonomy, systematics, ecology, biogeography, management, conservation, etc., and studies based on biological museum specimens are to a large degree the basis of our
Stigma undermines prevention programs for the opioid crisis
The World Health Organization and the U.S. Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, agree that opioid addiction is an epidemic. In the U.S., the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention framed three approaches to
