Articles
Are bacteria that secrete protein degradation enzymes responsible for preterm births?
Preterm births occur before the 37th week of gestation and are the leading cause of infant deaths around the world. Although there are many factors contributing to preterm labour, including multiple gestation and diseases such as diabetes, approximately 40% of cases are associated with bacterial infection of the uterus. Dr Laura Sycuro and her team at the University of Calgary, […]
Stress vulnerability and resilience: Insights from a novel mouse model
Stress and early life adversity alter the body’s stress response and are predisposing individuals to psychiatric disorders. Additionally, stress vulnerability and resilience have a genetic predisposition in humans due to variants of the FKBP5 gene. For in depth understanding of underlying mechanisms altering the stress-response network, valid animal models are needed. A novel mouse line developed at Taconic Biosciences and […]
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Waste management and transition to a circular economy
As opposition to society’s ‘throwaway culture’ grows, so does the realisation that recycling and waste management are not only needed but desired by the public. Dr Pekka Peura at VEBIC, University of Vaasa, Finland, in collaboration with Dr Olli Voutilainen of the Natural Resources Institute Finland and Professor Jussi Kantola of the University of Turku, review the evolution of a […]
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Taming the oil price
For the foreseeable future, the world will need oil, but its price volatility makes buying and selling it a challenge for producers and the myriad manufacturers who need it. For brokers who sit in the middle of such transactions, finding the optimal price and the number of clients to spread their risk is one of their biggest challenges. Belleh Fontem, […]
License-plate-based driving restrictions: Do they really backfire?
Driving restriction policies that limit the number of days drivers can use their vehicles within cities based on the last digit of their license plates are popular in some cities. Research into their effectiveness in reducing air pollution and congestion, however, yields mixed results. Dr Erick Guerra and his colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, have published the first […]
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Indus civilisation decline: Core evidence for Late Holocene climate change
The socially complex and highly urbanised Indus Valley Civilisation began a sustained decline around 3900 cal yr BP (calendar years before present). This decline has been linked with abrupt climate change starting at ~4200 cal yr BP. Past studies examining its causes point to hydroclimate variability, but these studies offer inconsistent evidence for the timing and mechanism(s) driving mid- to […]
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Malaria modelling: An optimal control problem
Malaria, a life-threatening mosquito-borne disease, is a leading cause of death and infection in many developing countries. Using mathematical modelling, Professor Wandi Ding, Middle Tennessee State University, USA, and her colleagues investigate optimal control of malaria, using both the sterile insect technique and insecticide-treated nets. Their simulations show that a combination of both strategies results in a more rapid elimination […]
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How does sleep affect immune-related disease risk?
Sergio Garbarino, adjunct professor in the Department of Neuroscience, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, at the University of Genoa, Italy, is an internationally recognised sleep expert. In his recent work, he explores the interrelationships between sleep deprivation, immunity, inflammation, and chronic diseases. It is well established that sleep is essential for health. However, modern lifestyles are not conducive to […]
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An in-depth look at the East Coast fever vaccine
East Coast fever causes significant losses among cattle in eastern, central and southern Africa, affecting the livelihoods of livestock keepers in these regions. There is no conventional vaccine for this disease and, instead, an infection and treatment method is implemented using Muguga cocktail and oxytetracycline. Professor Andrew Peters and Dr Fiona Allan of the University of Edinburgh conducted a systematic […]
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Trastuzumab-based therapeutics: Choosing the appropriate species for safety studies
Trastuzumab is a clinically approved monoclonal antibody therapy which targets HER2 (or ErbB2) for treatment of HER2-overexpressing breast and gastric cancers. Safety studies are important in the development of antibody therapeutics and should use animal species which bind the target antigen (HER2) to understand target-mediated effects, in addition to a non-binding species to observe non-targeted effects. It is acknowledged that […]
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