Author: vulgavis

  • Pivotal moment in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo

    Pivotal moment in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo

    Ebola virus. Source: Wikipedia The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that started in August 2018, and has since been largely forgotten amid the flurry of everything else happening throughout the world. However, recent developments, such as the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, have attracted renewed attention to…

  • The little tissue that couldn’t – the hymen’s role in determining sexual history or assault

    The little tissue that couldn’t – the hymen’s role in determining sexual history or assault

    © zakokor / iStock Conversations about the female body, reproductive organs, sexuality, and virginity have dominated cultural discourse for centuries. They have been the subject of works of fiction, Renaissance art, romantic tales, religious missives, feminist theories and counter-theories, historical narratives, political movements, global health initiatives, and of course, scientific articles. This dialogue often begins…

  • Towards a global dialogue about heritable germline editing: Mapping needs and challenges

    Towards a global dialogue about heritable germline editing: Mapping needs and challenges

    (Picture by Arek Socha via Pixabay, CC0) The Hastings Centre has just published a report about heritable germline editing in a global context based on work carried out by Achim Rosemann in collaboration with (in alphabetical order) Adam Balen, Sarah Hartley, Christine Hauskeller, Nick Lee, Margaret Sleeboom-Faulkner, Xinqing Zhang, and Brigitte Nerlich. The report presents…

  • Yellow fever: The new urban and international epidemics

    Yellow fever: The new urban and international epidemics

    Yellow fever is a virus transmitted by mosquitoes. It is found in 29 countries of sub-Saharan Africa and 13 in South America, resulting in 200,000 cases and 30,000 deaths in endemic areas. Transmission often occurs when humans encroach jungle borders for work or leisure activities. But recently, urban outbreaks have led to the international transmission…

  • How to effectively deliver drugs on a mass scale

    How to effectively deliver drugs on a mass scale

    Narayanpur Health Post, Dang Valley: medications stored in the health facility. Supplies of Albendazole, for distribution in the LF program. Over 1 billion treatments for neglected tropical diseases have been given through mass drug administration campaigns. The success of mass drug administration (MDA) is dependent on high coverage, and high numbers such as these provide…

  • Is schizophrenia accurately and objectively diagnosed?

    Is schizophrenia accurately and objectively diagnosed?

    Schizophrenia no longer has clinically defined subsets as they became too difficult to accurately diagnose. In this study, the authors explore a novel and innovative way to use biology to identify subsets of schizophrenia. Hanna / stock.adobe.com The situation Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder that manifests in adolescence and often leads to a lifetime…

  • An Interview with BMC Materials Section Editor, Professor Wenguo Cui

    An Interview with BMC Materials Section Editor, Professor Wenguo Cui

    Prof. Wenguo Cui When did you get to know about BMC Materials? And what made you decide to join the journal? I learned about BMC Materials in October 2018 when Dr. Harriet Manning, Editor at BMC, set up the journal. After extensive survey and careful speculation, Dr. Manning determined that six major fields of materials would…

  • MSF’s Scientific Days: embracing fear in a changing climate

    MSF’s Scientific Days: embracing fear in a changing climate

    Panellists from the ‘Still neglected? Overlooked and forgotten’ discussion – the final session of Medical Research Day. ©MSF At this year’s annual Scientific Days conference held by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in London, delegates were dared to embrace fear. From the fear of unknown challenges to the known threats that we see on the frontline…

  • Fasciola liver flukes infecting wild elephants of Sri Lanka: tackling tricky taxonomy

    Fasciola liver flukes infecting wild elephants of Sri Lanka: tackling tricky taxonomy

    Wild Sri Lankan elephants at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage (picture by Bernard Gagnon – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikipedia) Elephants and fascioliasis Fascioliasis is a global economic problem impacting upon human and domestic animal health, but what about wildlife? Although we are used to considering the impact of Fasciola infections on domestic animals…

  • Can Twitter and Google help improve heat wave warning systems?

    Can Twitter and Google help improve heat wave warning systems?

    © ersinkisacik / Getty Images / iStock Social media has become an integral part of our day to day activities and we use it to stay in touch with friends, read the news, and find information. Internet activity is easily tracked and freely available data on trending topics can be used to the benefit of…