Zika virus has been on our radar since 1947 when it was first isolated from a type of monkey called a rhesus macaque. Less than ten years later, in 1954, the virus was isolated from a human in Nigeria. Most of us are familiar with Zika due to the 2015/2016 outbreak in Brazil during the… Continue reading A bat-ter idea: the role of Jamaican fruit bats in Zika virus spread
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Representation Matters: What Student Teaching Evaluations Say About Institutions
Following the end of a busy semester, students are often required to complete teaching evaluations for each of their classes. In recent years, these evaluations have become a contentions topic amongst educators. Despite numerous reports that student evaluations do not accurately measure teaching effectiveness, many institutions still rely on them for determining faculty promotions. The… Continue reading Representation Matters: What Student Teaching Evaluations Say About Institutions
Do more creative people have better brain networks? (Infographic)
This week, Think of the PLoSibilities is featuring an infographic created by Dalhousie University student, Devan Pancura. To access the infographic, click the following link: "Do more creative people have better brain networks?" Infographic created by: Devan Pancura To read the full article, please click the following link: Bayesian Inference and Testing of Group Differences in Brain Networks… Continue reading Do more creative people have better brain networks? (Infographic)
Fierce Fungi Friend-making Fury
We tend to think of microbial species in a simplistic way as either our friends or our enemies. One recent paper questioned this perspective by investigating whether a microbial enemy could be converted to be a friend. This study focused on Candida albicans, a fungus that can live on our skin and in other locations… Continue reading Fierce Fungi Friend-making Fury
It takes a village (of billions of microbes) to raise a child
Trillions of microorganisms colonize sites all over the human body including the nose, respiratory tract, intestines and skin. Each microbial hotspot hosts a collection of different microorganisms called the microbiota. The microbiota is comprised of many different kinds of bacteria, archaea, eukaryotes and viruses. These microorganisms are much more than passengers in our bodies; instead they… Continue reading It takes a village (of billions of microbes) to raise a child
How cellphone use may impact memory in teens
This week on PLoSibilities we are trying something new... infographics! Instead of summarizing a scientific article in a short post, our student writer Qendresa created an infographic to describe the study design and results. Interested in trying something similar, but don't know where to start? Contact PLoSibilities to learn more The relationship between cellphone and… Continue reading How cellphone use may impact memory in teens
The Future of Flu Vaccines
One hundred years since the devastating Spanish flu pandemic that killed more than 50 million people, influenza viruses are still causing world-wide morbidity and mortality. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), seasonal flu causes 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness and 290,000 to 650,000 deaths per year worldwide. Vaccination is the first… Continue reading The Future of Flu Vaccines
Can arctic mammals adapt to global warming?
Global warming is dramatically changing arctic marine ecosystems. As global temperatures increase, glaciers are melting and sea levels are rising. These environmental changes threaten arctic mammals, such as polar bears, who rely on sea ice for resting, walking, stalking, and nursing. With the rapid decline in the amount and thickness of arctic ice, polar bears,… Continue reading Can arctic mammals adapt to global warming?
Your brain: A new home for lyme disease-causing bacteria
You might have heard about lyme disease being transmitted by ticks, but did you know that it is caused by a bacterium that can infect your brain and other parts of the body? The bacteria in question is named Borrelia burgdorferi. By entering a type of brain cell called neuroglia, these bacteria can evade immune… Continue reading Your brain: A new home for lyme disease-causing bacteria