How can we measure health behavior theories mathematically?

William Riley looks at whether Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) could be expressed mathematically. He reports on his article published in Translational Behavioral Medicine in which he and co-authors developed a dynamic computational model for SCT.

Magnesium deficiency and its multiple health outcomes

Getting enough magnesium in your diet? A study published in BMC Medicine last month found that increased dietary magnesium is associated with a reduced risk of heart failure, stroke, diabetes, and all-cause mortality. The study was the largest of its kind to date, using data from more than a million people across nine countries. In this blog, the lead author Dr. Fudi Wang discusses these findings.

Wise to go nuts?

Another study published in BMC Medicine reports that higher nut consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, all-cause mortality and mortality from cancer, respiratory disease, diabetes, and infections. In this blog, Agneta Åkesson and Carolina Donat-Vargas discuss the study and the broader context of these results.

From utilising microbiome data in clinical practice to the Iberian Lynx

Best of 2016: Top Picks from Genome Biology: The editors of Genome Biology highlight their favourite articles from the past year, including those that were highly accessed, shared, liked and discussed.

The hidden role of pets in the management of mental health conditions: To many people pets are much more than just companions. In this blog Dr Helen Brooks discusses her study published in BMC Psychiatry which demonstrates the important role pets play in the support network of people with mental health conditions.

The vital importance of being inclusive: BMC Series subject journals have recently clarified their description of editorial thresholds to make it clear that the key factor in editorial decisions is scientific validity rather than potential impact. In this blog Diana Marshall discusses what these mean and why an inclusive approach is important.

Adapting and adopting microbiome data into clinical practice: An article collection in BMC Medicine titled ‘Clinical insights into the human microbiome’ explores the most recent and exciting findings on how the microbiome shapes physiological responses and affects treatment. In this blog, Omry Koren, Guest Editor of the collection and Silvio Pitlik take a look at the history of clinical microbiology as well as the delay in the adoption of microbiome data into the mainstream of clinical practice.

Ahead of the curve: embracing preprints: Chief Editor of Genome Biology Louisa Flintoft discuses Genome Biology’s close connection and history with the pre-print publishing model and shares the news that authors who post their paper to the pre-print server bioRxiv will now be able to submit their paper directly to Genome Biology.

Genomics and the conservation of species: insights from the Iberian lynx: The Iberian lynx is a species at the brink of extinction with a mere 400 individuals left in the wild. A study in Genome Biology reports the first annotated draft of the Iberian lynx genome. In the blog, the author of the study discusses the genetic erosion that has occurred following extreme population declines and also looks at how genomic knowledge and resources can benefit endangered species conservation.

Tropical medicine, Zika virus disease, and refugee health: BMC Medicine attends ASTMH 2016: In November BMC Medicine attended the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) 2016 meeting in Atlanta. Here Assistant Editor, Anita Marinelli, presents some of the highlights of the conference, including exciting new developments and important challenges in the field of tropical medicine.