Biology posts
- January 27, 2017
- 05:00 AM
- 455 views
Friday Fellow: Black Bread Mold
by Piter Boll in Earthling Nature
by Piter Kehoma Boll Today’s Friday Fellow lives in our houses and our gardens, among our food and our crops. And every time we notice it, we get upset, because it means that something we were supposed to eat is … Continue reading →... Read more »
Hernández-Lauzardo, A., Bautista-Baños, S., Velázquez-del Valle, M., Méndez-Montealvo, M., Sánchez-Rivera, M., & Bello-Pérez, L. (2008) Antifungal effects of chitosan with different molecular weights on in vitro development of Rhizopus stolonifer (Ehrenb.:Fr.) Vuill. Carbohydrate Polymers, 73(4), 541-547. DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2007.12.020
- January 27, 2017
- 03:07 AM
- 218 views
Vitamin D deficiency and risk of dementia
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
"The results of this systematic review show that low vitamin D levels might contribute to the development of dementia."Whilst slightly off-topic when it comes to the core research material typically included on this blog, I did want to bring to your attention the systematic review and meta-analysis results published by Isolde Sommer and colleagues [1] (open-access) for your perusal. Although unable to "identify a single study investigating the association between sunlight exposure and demen........ Read more »
Sommer I, Griebler U, Kien C, Auer S, Klerings I, Hammer R, Holzer P, & Gartlehner G. (2017) Vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC geriatrics, 17(1), 16. PMID: 28086755
- January 26, 2017
- 03:10 AM
- 240 views
Andrew Whitehouse on challenging yet another autism status quo: diagnosis before intervention
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
"This paper provides an overview of the benefits and drawbacks of the current clinical pathway that places primacy on a diagnostic assessment for triggering the commencement of therapy. The paper then presents an alternative clinical pathway - the identification and provision of therapy to infants at risk of ASD [autism spectrum disorder] - and provides a critical review of current evidence supporting this model."So said the 'lecture paper' by Andrew Whitehouse [1] and, as per the titl........ Read more »
Whitehouse AJ. (2017) Elizabeth Usher Memorial Lecture: Rethinking the clinical pathway for autism spectrum disorder and challenging the status quo. International journal of speech-language pathology, 1-10. PMID: 28084105
- January 25, 2017
- 08:10 AM
- 239 views
A poo transplant for [some] autism?
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
I've talked about 'fecal microbial transplants' a.k.a the poo(p) transplant before on this blog (see here). That previous entry was about the more typical (and potentially life-saving) use of a poo transplant - where stool from one person is extracted, 'repackaged' and transferred to another person - albeit with caveats in terms of possible long-term side-effects. Now it appears that poo transplants are being investigated with something rather more central to the typical cont........ Read more »
Kang, D., Adams, J., Gregory, A., Borody, T., Chittick, L., Fasano, A., Khoruts, A., Geis, E., Maldonado, J., McDonough-Means, S.... (2017) Microbiota Transfer Therapy alters gut ecosystem and improves gastrointestinal and autism symptoms: an open-label study. Microbiome, 5(1). DOI: 10.1186/s40168-016-0225-7
- January 25, 2017
- 08:00 AM
- 163 views
Asthma & Histone Acetylation: an important epigenetic mechanism in allergic diseases
by Daniel Potaczek in EpiBeat
Epigenetic regulation is thought to be one of the most important mechanisms contributing to the development and clinical course of chronic immunological diseases like allergies and asthma. DNA methylation has been extensively studied in this context, which has not been a case of histone modifications such as histone acetylation or methylation.
Early epigenetic studies from our lab conducted in mouse models demonstrated a role for histone acetylation in mediating bacteria-induced protection ag........ Read more »
Harb H, Alashkar Alhamwe B, Garn H, Renz H, & Potaczek DP. (2016) Recent developments in epigenetics of pediatric asthma. Current opinion in pediatrics, 28(6), 754-763. PMID: 27662207
Harb, H., Amarasekera, M., Ashley, S., Tulic, M., Pfefferle, P., Potaczek, D., Martino, D., Kesper, D., Prescott, S., & Renz, H. (2016) Epigenetic Regulation in Early Childhood: A Miniaturized and Validated Method to Assess Histone Acetylation. International Archives of Allergy and Immunology, 168(3), 173-181. DOI: 10.1159/000442158
Harb, H., Raedler, D., Ballenberger, N., Böck, A., Kesper, D., Renz, H., & Schaub, B. (2015) Childhood allergic asthma is associated with increased IL-13 and FOXP3 histone acetylation. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 136(1), 200-202. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2015.01.027
Stefanowicz, D., Lee, J., Lee, K., Shaheen, F., Koo, H., Booth, S., Knight, D., & Hackett, T. (2015) Elevated H3K18 acetylation in airway epithelial cells of asthmatic subjects. Respiratory Research, 16(1). DOI: 10.1186/s12931-015-0254-y
Harb, H., & Renz, H. (2015) Update on epigenetics in allergic disease. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 135(1), 15-24. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2014.11.009
- January 25, 2017
- 02:56 AM
- 221 views
Autism and visual impairment reviewed
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
Of the various autism science journals out there in peer-reviewed (La-La!) land, one journal in particular is really starting to grow on me: [The] Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.I like this journal because it is basically systematic review and meta-analysis heaven when it comes to the quite voluminous autism research literature and seems to publish some real gems (see here for example).Another paper from this journal caught my eye recently by Maggie Butchart and colleagues ........ Read more »
Butchart, M., Long, J., Brown, M., McMillan, A., Bain, J., & Karatzias, T. (2017) Autism and Visual Impairment: a Review of the Literature. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. DOI: 10.1007/s40489-016-0101-1
- January 24, 2017
- 11:52 AM
- 237 views
Crowdfunding and Tribefunding in Science
by Jalees Rehman in The Next Regeneration
Competition for government research grants to fund scientific research remains fierce in the United States. The budget of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which constitute the major source of funding for US biological and medical research, has been increased only modestly during the past decade but it is not even keeping up with inflation. This problem is compounded by the fact that more scientists are applying for grants now than one or two decades ago, forcing the NIH to enforce strict........ Read more »
Vachelard J, Gambarra-Soares T, Augustini G, Riul P, & Maracaja-Coutinho V. (2016) A Guide to Scientific Crowdfunding. PLoS Biology, 14(2). PMID: 26886064
- January 24, 2017
- 10:44 AM
- 302 views
Whip Spiders Use Their Feet to Smell Their Way Home
by Elizabeth Preston in Inkfish
After a late dinner, a jungle-dwelling whip spider can't rely on an Uber driver to get her home. She has to find the way herself, in the pitch-black, picking her way over thick undergrowth to reach the tree she lives on. It's a trick she can even manage when plucked from her home tree and tossed into the forest at random, up to 10 meters away. Now scientists think whip spiders don't use her eyes for this homing feat—they use their feet.
Whip spiders hunt by night and hunker down at dawn ........ Read more »
Bingman VP, Graving JM, Hebets EA, & Wiegmann DD. (2016) Importance of the antenniform legs, but not vision, for homing by the neotropical whip spider, Paraphrynus laevifrons. The Journal of experimental biology. PMID: 28011820
- January 24, 2017
- 04:49 AM
- 218 views
Fatty acids 'for autism'? Meta-analysis says probably not but...
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
"Because of the limited number of included studies and small sample sizes, no firm conclusions can be drawn. However, the limited data currently available suggest that ω-3 FA [fatty acid] supplementation does not enhance the performance of children with ASD [autism spectrum disorder]."Those were the conclusions reached in the systematic review and meta-analysis paper published by Andrea Horvath and colleagues [1] looking at the collected peer-reviewed literature on the topic up t........ Read more »
Horvath A, Łukasik J, & Szajewska H. (2017) ω-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Does Not Affect Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The Journal of nutrition. PMID: 28077731
- January 23, 2017
- 02:45 AM
- 231 views
Autism diagnoses (and diagnostic stability) in Germany
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
"From 2006 to 2012, the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder diagnoses in 0- to 24-year-olds increased from 0.22% to 0.38%."That was one of the details included in the rather interesting paper by Christian Bachmann and colleagues [1] who provided some introductory information on the the trends in autism diagnoses in Germany. I say 'introductory information' because it appears that autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has not exactly received the research attention in Germany that it p........ Read more »
Christian J Bachmann, Bettina Gerste, & Falk Hoffmann. (2016) Diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders in Germany: Time trends in administrative prevalence and diagnostic stability. Autism: International Journal of Research . info:/10.1177/1362361316673977
- January 22, 2017
- 04:58 PM
- 68 views
Nature Shapes Faithful and Unfaithful Brains
by Miss Behavior in The Scorpion and the Frog
Among monogamous animals, some individuals are more faithful than others. Could these differences in fidelity be, in part, because of differences in our brains? And if so, why does this diversity in brain and behavior exist?A snuggly prairie vole family. Photo from theNerdPatrol at Wikimedia Commons.Prairie voles are small North American rodents that form monogamous pair bonds, share parental duties, and defend their homes. Although prairie voles form monogamous pairs, that does not mean they ar........ Read more »
Okhovat, M., Berrio, A., Wallace, G., Ophir, A., & Phelps, S. (2015) Sexual fidelity trade-offs promote regulatory variation in the prairie vole brain. Science, 350(6266), 1371-1374. DOI: 10.1126/science.aac5791
- January 21, 2017
- 09:54 PM
- 228 views
Don’t let the web bugs bite
by Piter Boll in Earthling Nature
by Piter Kehoma Boll If you think spiders are scary creatures, today you will learn that they are scared too. But what could scary a spider? Well, a web bug! We usually think of spider webs as an astonishing evolutionary … Continue reading →... Read more »
PAPE, R. (2013) Description and Ecology of A New Cavernicolous, Arachnophilous Thread-legged Bug (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Emesini) from Kartchner Caverns, Cochise County, Arizona. Zootaxa, 3670(2), 137. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3670.2.2
Resende, L., Zepon, T., Bichuette, M., Pape, R., & Gil-Santana, H. (2016) Associations between Emesinae heteropterans and spiders in limestone caves of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Neotropical Biology and Conservation, 11(3). DOI: 10.4013/nbc.2016.113.01
Wignall, A., & Taylor, P. (2010) Predatory behaviour of an araneophagic assassin bug. Journal of Ethology, 28(3), 437-445. DOI: 10.1007/s10164-009-0202-8
- January 21, 2017
- 03:25 AM
- 260 views
"no evidence that the probiotic formulation is effective in treating low mood"
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
I'm a great believer in balance when it comes to this blog and its content. As enthusiastic as I might be about a particular topic or topics, I don't want to lose sight of the fact that peer-reviewed science is a messy business and often filled with contrary findings.With 'contrary' in mind, I want to talk today about a paper by Amy Romijn and colleagues [1] detailing the results of a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of a probiotic mix which contained "freeze-dried L. helv........ Read more »
Romijn AR, Rucklidge JJ, Kuijer RG, & Frampton C. (2017) A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum for the symptoms of depression. The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry, 2147483647. PMID: 28068788
- January 20, 2017
- 05:19 AM
- 213 views
RCC: Updates on Guidelines for Adjuvant Therapy and new drug combination
by Joana Guedes in BHD Research Blog
The European Association of Urology (EAU) Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) guidelines panel has recently updated its recommendation on adjuvant therapy with sunitinib in non-metastatic RCC after surgical tumour removal (Bex et al., 2016). These clinical guidelines provide urologists with evidence-based information and recommendations for the management of RCC and the panel includes urological surgeons, oncologists, pathologists, radiologists and patient advocates. Based on the conflicting results of t........ Read more »
Bex A, Albiges L, Ljungberg B, Bensalah K, Dabestani S, Giles RH, Hofmann F, Hora M, Kuczyk MA, Lam TB.... (2016) Updated European Association of Urology Guidelines Regarding Adjuvant Therapy for Renal Cell Carcinoma. European urology. PMID: 27986369
Meric-Bernstam, F., Tannir, N., Harding, J., Voss, M., Mier, J., DeMichele, A., Munster, P., Patel, M., Iliopoulos, O., Owonikoko, T.... (2016) Phase 1 study of CB-839, a small molecule inhibitor of glutaminase, in combination with everolimus in patients (pts) with clear cell and papillary renal cell cancer (RCC). European Journal of Cancer. DOI: 10.1016/S0959-8049(16)32626-0
- January 20, 2017
- 05:00 AM
- 215 views
Friday Fellow: Giant Kelp
by Piter Boll in Earthling Nature
by Piter Kehoma Boll This week we’ll stay in the sea and meet on of the most impressive algae, the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera. It is called giant for a good reason, since it can grow up to 50 m in … Continue reading →... Read more »
Foster, M. (1975) Algal succession in a Macrocystis pyrifera forest. Marine Biology, 32(4), 313-329. DOI: 10.1007/BF00388989
- January 20, 2017
- 03:10 AM
- 228 views
Diagnosing ME/CFS the machine learning way?
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
In today's post I want to draw your attention to the findings reported by Diana Ohanian and colleagues [1] (open-access available here) talking about "the use of machine learning to further explore the unique nature"of various conditions/labels including those typically headed under the label of chronic fatigue syndrome / myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).Including one 'Jason LA' on the authorship list, researchers set about looking at "what key symptoms differentiate Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ........ Read more »
Ohanian D, Brown A, Sunnquist M, Furst J, Nicholson L, Klebek L, & Jason LA. (2016) Identifying Key Symptoms Differentiating Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome from Multiple Sclerosis. Neurology (E-Cronicon), 4(2), 41-45. PMID: 28066845
- January 19, 2017
- 03:04 AM
- 236 views
The correlates of regressive autism
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
"A more homogeneous subgroup with regression between 18 and 36 months (n = 48) had higher rates of intellectual disability, epilepsy, and special education, more socially restrictive educational settings, and more severe ASD [autism spectrum disorder] communication deficits and schizophrenia spectrum symptoms than non-regressed youth (n = 136)."So said the findings reported by Kenneth Gadow and colleagues [1] taking on one of the more important issues in relation to autism: dev........ Read more »
Gadow KD, Perlman G, & Weber RJ. (2017) Parent-Reported Developmental Regression in Autism: Epilepsy, IQ, Schizophrenia Spectrum Symptoms, and Special Education. Journal of autism and developmental disorders. PMID: 28074354
- January 18, 2017
- 03:13 AM
- 255 views
Physical activity levels and autism (again)
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
"Adolescents with ASD [autism spectrum disorder] spent less time in MVPA [moderate and vigorous physical activity] compared to TD [typically developing] adolescents (29 min/day vs. 50 min/day, p < 0.001) and fewer met the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (14 vs. 29%, p > 0.05)."So said the study results published by Heidi Stanish and colleagues [1] adding yet more to another growth autism research area - physical activity and exercise - ........ Read more »
Stanish, H., Curtin, C., Must, A., Phillips, S., Maslin, M., & Bandini, L. (2017) Physical Activity Levels, Frequency, and Type Among Adolescents with and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-3001-4
- January 17, 2017
- 05:05 PM
- 210 views
Axl and GAS6: apoptotic mimicry and NLRP-3 inhibition during Zika Virus infection
by thelonevirologist in Virology Tidbits
Zika Virus (ZIKV) is a positive sense RNA virus that belongs to the Flavivirus genus of the Flaviviridae family that includes other human pathogens including Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Yellow Fever Virus (YFV), West Nile Virus, Dengue Virus (DENV), Tick Borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV), and Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV).
Although being first isolated in 1947, until recently ZIKV was not associated with severe disease; following the introduction of ZIKV in the Americas however, foetal ZIKV inf........ Read more »
Retallack H, Di Lullo E, Arias C, Knopp KA, Laurie MT, Sandoval-Espinosa C, Mancia Leon WR, Krencik R, Ullian EM, Spatazza J.... (2016) Zika virus cell tropism in the developing human brain and inhibition by azithromycin. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113(50), 14408-14413. PMID: 27911847
Brault JB, Khou C, Basset J, Coquand L, Fraisier V, Frenkiel MP, Goud B, Manuguerra JC, Pardigon N, & Baffet AD. (2016) Comparative Analysis Between Flaviviruses Reveals Specific Neural Stem Cell Tropism for Zika Virus in the Mouse Developing Neocortex. EBioMedicine, 71-6. PMID: 27453325
El Costa H, Gouilly J, Mansuy JM, Chen Q, Levy C, Cartron G, Veas F, Al-Daccak R, Izopet J, & Jabrane-Ferrat N. (2016) ZIKA virus reveals broad tissue and cell tropism during the first trimester of pregnancy. Scientific reports, 35296. PMID: 27759009
Quicke KM, Bowen JR, Johnson EL, McDonald CE, Ma H, O'Neal JT, Rajakumar A, Wrammert J, Rimawi BH, Pulendran B.... (2016) Zika Virus Infects Human Placental Macrophages. Cell host , 20(1), 83-90. PMID: 27247001
Wells MF, Salick MR, Wiskow O, Ho DJ, Worringer KA, Ihry RJ, Kommineni S, Bilican B, Klim JR, Hill EJ.... (2016) Genetic Ablation of AXL Does Not Protect Human Neural Progenitor Cells and Cerebral Organoids from Zika Virus Infection. Cell stem cell, 19(6), 703-708. PMID: 27912091
Leake DS, & Peters TJ. (1982) Lipid accumulation in arterial smooth muscle cells in culture. Morphological and biochemical changes caused by low density lipoproteins and chloroquine. Atherosclerosis, 44(3), 275-91. PMID: 7150393
Savidis, G., Perreira, J., Portmann, J., Meraner, P., Guo, Z., Green, S., & Brass, A. (2016) The IFITMs Inhibit Zika Virus Replication. Cell Reports, 15(11), 2323-2330. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.05.074
Brass AL, Huang IC, Benita Y, John SP, Krishnan MN, Feeley EM, Ryan BJ, Weyer JL, van der Weyden L, Fikrig E.... (2009) The IFITM proteins mediate cellular resistance to influenza A H1N1 virus, West Nile virus, and dengue virus. Cell, 139(7), 1243-54. PMID: 20064371
Nour AM, Li Y, Wolenski J, & Modis Y. (2013) Viral membrane fusion and nucleocapsid delivery into the cytoplasm are distinct events in some flaviviruses. PLoS pathogens, 9(9). PMID: 24039574
Bailey CC, Zhong G, Huang IC, & Farzan M. (2014) IFITM-Family Proteins: The Cell's First Line of Antiviral Defense. Annual review of virology, 261-283. PMID: 25599080
Mercer, J. (2011) Viral Apoptotic Mimicry Party: P.S. Bring Your Own Gas6. Cell Host , 9(4), 255-257. DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2011.04.002
Mercer J, & Helenius A. (2010) Apoptotic mimicry: phosphatidylserine-mediated macropinocytosis of vaccinia virus. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 49-55. PMID: 20958316
Desai TM, Marin M, Chin CR, Savidis G, Brass AL, & Melikyan GB. (2014) IFITM3 restricts influenza A virus entry by blocking the formation of fusion pores following virus-endosome hemifusion. PLoS pathogens, 10(4). PMID: 24699674
Morizono K, Xie Y, Olafsen T, Lee B, Dasgupta A, Wu AM, & Chen IS. (2011) The soluble serum protein Gas6 bridges virion envelope phosphatidylserine to the TAM receptor tyrosine kinase Axl to mediate viral entry. Cell host , 9(4), 286-98. PMID: 21501828
Meertens L, Carnec X, Lecoin MP, Ramdasi R, Guivel-Benhassine F, Lew E, Lemke G, Schwartz O, & Amara A. (2012) The TIM and TAM families of phosphatidylserine receptors mediate dengue virus entry. Cell host , 12(4), 544-57. PMID: 23084921
Abderrazak A, Syrovets T, Couchie D, El Hadri K, Friguet B, Simmet T, & Rouis M. (2015) NLRP3 inflammasome: from a danger signal sensor to a regulatory node of oxidative stress and inflammatory diseases. Redox biology, 296-307. PMID: 25625584
Bhattacharyya S, Zagórska A, Lew ED, Shrestha B, Rothlin CV, Naughton J, Diamond MS, Lemke G, & Young JA. (2013) Enveloped viruses disable innate immune responses in dendritic cells by direct activation of TAM receptors. Cell host , 14(2), 136-47. PMID: 23954153
Wang J, Qiao L, Hou Z, & Luo G. (2017) TIM-1 Promotes Hepatitis C Virus Cell Attachment and Infection. Journal of virology, 91(2). PMID: 27807228
Han J, Bae J, Choi CY, Choi SP, Kang HS, Jo EK, Park J, Lee YS, Moon HS, Park CG.... (2016) Autophagy induced by AXL receptor tyrosine kinase alleviates acute liver injury via inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation in mice. Autophagy, 12(12), 2326-2343. PMID: 27780404
- January 17, 2017
- 04:28 AM
- 246 views
Vitamin D supplementation and self-perceived fatigue
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
"Vitamin D treatment significantly improved fatigue in otherwise healthy persons with vitamin D deficiency."Supplementation details, described in the paper by Albina Nowak and colleagues [1] (open-access available here), were a single dose of 100,000 IU [international units] of vitamin D or a placebo (mannitol) administered to 120 adult participants who presented with "fatigue and vitamin D deficiency (serum 25(OH)D < 20 μg/L)." This was a double-blind trial and self-perceived fatigue ........ Read more »
Nowak A, Boesch L, Andres E, Battegay E, Hornemann T, Schmid C, Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Suter PM, & Krayenbuehl PA. (2016) Effect of vitamin D3 on self-perceived fatigue: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. Medicine, 95(52). PMID: 28033244
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