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Exposure to nanoparticles can activate herpesvirus viruses in the lungs – Winner of the Particle and Fibre Toxicology Best Paper Award 2018
Herpes simplex virus (CDC/ Dr. Fred Murphy; Sylvia Whitfield) Your paper ‘Nanoparticle exposure reactivates latent herpesvirus and restores a signature of acute infection’ has been voted as the winner of the 2018 Particle and Fibre Toxicology best paper award – congratulations! Can you briefly explain what your study is about? Both inhalation of environmental nanoparticles…
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Follow or borrow? Is the UK NHS the best model for other countries to achieve universal health coverage?
© Dominic Lipinski / PA Wire / empics / picture alliance The global movement around universal health coverage (UHC) has gathered momentum at blistering speed. Within a few years it has transformed the focus of healthcare in many low and middle income countries from single disease strategies towards a vision of comprehensive, affordable and acceptable…
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Switching on the production of malaria sexual stages
Thin blood smear of Plasmodium falciparum macro- and microgametocyte One of the most fascinating things about parasites is the complexity of their life histories. Some of the most complex of all are the malaria parasites. At different stages they can parasitize mosquitoes or vertebrates, live intra or extra cellularly and multiply asexually or sexually. Transition…
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Understanding complexities for household energy management: lessons from a smart grid pilot project
Recent progress in smart grid infrastructure and technologies (e.g., smart meters, smart thermostats and appliances) brings potential for existing electricity grids and their consumers. These technologies facilitate flows beyond energy to incorporate two-way flows of information and services between utilities and consumers. This presents opportunities for consumers to hold active roles in the electricity system…
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Big data, big ethics: how to handle research data from medical emergency settings?
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a major health problem that accounts for 20% of all natural deaths in Europe. People with SCA die within minutes if not treated immediately, and global average survival rates are only 7%. In order to improve these numbers, we need insight into the complex sets of factors causing SCA and…
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Alcohol as part of ‘care practices’ in White British women’s everyday personal relationships
In Britain, drinking alcohol is a common practice among White British women; in 2016, just over half of this population had consumed alcohol in the last week. While most White British women keep their consumption within the recommended safe limits, patterns of heavy drinking associated with long and short term health and social harms have increased…
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Criminal background and job performance
© monkeybusinessimages / Getty Images / iStock This post was crossposted from the SpringerOpen blog. Over 650,000 individuals are released from U.S prison each year, with many others receiving criminal sentences than do not result in prison. Employers are reluctant to hire job applicants with criminal records, and criminal background checks are a common part…
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Mind altering microbes: can Toxoplasma gondii infection increase entrepreneurship?
At least a third of the world’s human population is thought to be infected with Toxoplasmosis gondii. Scary as this sounds, infection usually does not manifest in acute symptoms in human adults, and this is termed latent chronic infection. It is in those with weakened immune system (babies and sick people) where infection can result…
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BMC Energy – open for submissions!
BMC Energy opened for submissions on 14th August and was officially launched at the American Chemical Society Fall Meeting in Boston with a reception held at the Springer Nature booth. The journal is broad in scope and sits within the BMC Series, adhering to the BMC values of openness and inclusion. Whilst the journal covers…
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Highlights of the BMC series: August 2018
BMC Gastroenterology: Preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea using probiotics Antibiotics can have a number of side effects, the most common being gastro-intestinal such as diarrhea. Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) is caused by antibiotics disrupting the ecology of the intestinal microbiota, altering the diversity and numbers of bacteria in the gut. This can lead to long-lasting effects on the…