Autism Awareness Week Quiz 2018
Monthly Archives: March 2018
Goats in the City
Extensive rearing of goats in close contact with humans in resource-poor areas may lead to the sharing of intestinal parasites between humans and goats. Dr Kjersti Selstad Utaaker, lead author of a new article published in Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, explains her research on the prevalence of infections in the urban goat.
Interview with the Editor-in-Chief of Sustainable Earth: Part 2
In the second part of this interview, Peter Newman the Editor-in-Chief of BMC’s new journal Sustainable Earth, discusses the three Ps of informing policy and how to involve the community in sustainability science and in the journal.
Could infants with Autism Spectrum Disorder be identified by geometric image preference?
Research published in Molecular Autism identifies a possible test to identify Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in infants and toddlers through the use of geometric images.
How many trees should be in a sustainable city?
The theme for International Day of Forests 2018, ’Forests and Sustainable Cities’, is a good opportunity to discuss cities’ forest cover goals. Tree planting campaigns implemented recently in many cities have certainly invigorated the urban forestry movement and engaged the public in pursuing sustainable development goals. But what was the goal of these campaigns? Were they to increase tree cover, or were they to counterbalance tree cover losses from 2000 to 2012?
Stress, depression and Parkinson’s: an intertwined story
Research has shown the implication of stress early in life with depression, a common symptom in Parkinson’s Disease. This link may provide a role for antidepressents in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Here Dr Ernest Dalle, author of newly published research in Molecular Brain, tells us more.
1The importance of understanding vagus nerve activity
Among its many roles in the body, the vagus nerve is involved in suppressing damaging inflammation. Following on from research in which they mapped this inflammatory reflex, a team of researchers have now developed a new recording method for the vagus nerve in mice to further our understanding. This method is detailed in an article published today in Bioelectronic Medicine, an open access journal published by BMC in partnership with the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. Here we interviewed one the authors of paper, Dr. Harold Silverman, to find out more.
2Souls of the damned or just hungry birds? Investigating the call of the raven.
The call of the raven is famous across folklore and mythology around the world, but what does it actually mean? A study published today in Frontiers in Zoology finds that the food associated ‘haa’ calls of common ravens (Corvus corax) contain useful information about the age and sex of the caller.
Brain Awareness Week 2018 quiz
Economists listen to Ecologists: On Biology at the World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum has a tradition of bringing together a sprinkling of academics and entrepreneurial innovators to mix with business and policy elites at their annual meeting in Davos. It is a rare opportunity for researchers to interact with such a diverse and influential audience, and all participants are encouraged to step back and consider the impact of their activities on the future state of the world. This year, with the increasing acceptance that continued economic growth depends on the health of the planet, the fragile biology of ecosystems was a prevalent theme.