Processed meat and health risks

Dariush Mozaffarian and colleagues comment on a study showing that processed meat is linked to increased mortality risk, and emphasize how health guidance should recommend avoiding processed meat rather than focusing on fat content.

Neuromuscular stimulation prevents weakness

Critically ill patients in intensive care are prone to muscle weakness and wasting; a systematic review suggests neuromuscular electrical stimulation therapy is effective in preventing muscle weakness, but is inconclusive for muscle wasting.

Viruses, virophages and transposons

A phylogenomic analysis found that giant viruses, virophages and transposable elements have a complex evolutionary relationship, suggesting that viruses evolved from non-viral mobile genetic elements and vice versa, on more than one occasion.

Ionic liquids for biomass fractionation

Lignocellulosic biomass represents an abundant and renewable carbon source, but there are various drawbacks in the traditional methods used to process it. This review discusses the use of ionic liquid technology as a tool for lignocellulosic biomass fractionation

Microwaves for solubilization of inclusion bodies

Production of recombinant proteins in bacterial hosts often produces insoluble inclusion bodies. This paper presents a new method that uses microwaves to facilitate solubilisation of inclusion bodies, reducing the time from hours to minutes

Novel hantavirus in Eurasian shrews

A PCR screen of soricine shrews captured over three years in Poland identified a new hantavirus, Boginia virus, with unknown pathogenic potential.

European geneticists' views on DTC testing

An online survey of European clinical geneticists found high awareness of direct-to-consumer genetic testing but most participants did not agree with such testing for severe conditions.

Methylation in twins

A longitudinal study of DNA methylation in twins at birth and 18 months finds that some loci drift in methylation status

Cost-effective prevention of hospital falls

Economic analysis of a clinical trial shows that a patient education program to prevent falls in hospitalized elderly people is effective and cost-saving, provided 4% of these patients would otherwise fall under usual care.

Overcoming the obstacles to HIV immunity

Can the immune system be induced to protect itself against HIV infection? Andrew McMichael gives his perspective in an interview, explaining the challenges faced in making a vaccine  and why he remains optimistic about the potential of eliciting strong T cell responses for controlling the virus.