Around 80% of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated to many human diseases map to non-coding regions. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent a large portion of non-coding regions across the genome, however the link between the disease-associated SNPs on lncRNA expression or function, and the implications for disease, remain uncharacterized. Celiac disease is complex immune […]
Humanities & Social Sciences • Science • Technology • Weekly Selection
Hubble image offers detailed view of Mars A detailed image of Mars has been taken by the Hubble Space Telescope as the Red Planet moves into opposition with Earth. The image depicts many of Mars’ geological features, such as mountains, plains and ice caps. Mars is in opposition today! Space.com Urban bees mostly dine on […]
Prion diseases are a group of severe conditions that affect the nervous system of many animals, including humans. Although their causes were highly controversial, there is a widespread agreement nowadays that they are originated and transmitted by prions, infectious agents with a normal and an abnormal structure. The abnormal prion protein infects the host animal […]
By the mid-1920s it was clear that “things” (electrons, atoms, molecules) long regarded as particles also show wave properties. This fact is the basis for the currently accepted theory of atomic structure. This theory, quantum mechanics, was introduced in 1925. Its foundations were developed very rapidly during the next few years, primarily by Born, Heisenberg […]
Until the 80’s all Olympic Games took place in rich countries, with the only exception of Mexico 68. In the 80’s, Moscow 80, Seul 88 and Sarajevo 84 started a trend that encouraged bids from developing countries with the result that after 2000 over half of all bids have come from this group. This fact […]
Economics • Mathematics • Medicine • Pharmacy
Blood from donations is separated into three components: red cells, platelets and plasma, and one component or another is then transfused into patients according to their needs. The conditions for storage differ for each component: red cell concentrates can be kept for up to 42 days at temperatures of 1-6ºC. Platelet concentrates (PC) are stored […]
Humanities & Social Sciences • Science • Technology • Weekly Selection
Earth-sun magnetic field interactions seen by NASA space probes Explosive storms spawned by interactions between the magnetic fields of Earth and the sun can endanger satellites, spacecraft and astronauts in space, as well as power grids on Earth. Now, a fleet of NASA spacecraft has for the first time directly witnessed the mysterious way in […]
Humans are naturally social. Yet, the modern way of life in developed countries is greatly reducing the quality and quantity of social relationships despite the use of modern technologies that provide an illusory richness of interpersonal contacts. Many people in industrialized nations live far from their relatives, delay getting married, and more and more people […]
Condensed matter • Materials • Nanotechnology • Physics • Quantum physics
Silicon surfaces of crystalline solids are part of conventional electronics, but their exploitation in novel materials combining two-dimensional electron states (2DESs) and magnetism, which play an important role in the development of next-generation electronics, still remains elusive. The appearance of 2DESs at surfaces or interfaces and their interplay with magnetic degrees of freedom may open […]
In previous posts, we have discussed the two main loopholes of Bell experiments, the locality loophole, and the detection loophole. Both were closed a long time ago, but only recently they were closed in the same experiment. Let us summarize the kind of experiments we are dealing with by an example. Alice and Bob will […]