Microbial Biotech: Less Glamorous, but Effective

Vaccination under TNF blockade - less effective, but worthwhile

Kobie and colleagues from the University of Rochester provide a detailed analysis of the infl uence of infl am ma-tion and TNF blockade on the humoral immune response to seasonal trivalent infl uenza vaccines [1]. Th eir manuscript sheds light on the role of TNF in B and plasma cell function, and gives a partial answer to the important clinical questions of how to handle vaccinations of patient...

Endolithic Microbial Life in Extreme Cold Climate: Snow Is Required, but Perhaps Less Is More

Cyanobacteria and lichens living under sandstone surfaces in the McMurdo Dry Valleys require snow for moisture. Snow accumulated beyond a thin layer, however, is counterproductive, interfering with rock insolation, snow melting, and photosynthetic access to light. With this in mind, the facts that rock slope and direction control colonization, and that climate change results in regional extinct...

Review: lactulose or lactitol may improve hepatic encephalopathy but may be less effective than antibiotics.

Review: paracetamol reduces pain in osteoarthritis but is less effective than NSAIDs.

Zhang W, Jones A, Doherty M. Does paracetamol (acetaminophen) reduce the pain of osteoarthritis? A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials Ann Rheum Dis 2004;63:901–7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....

metaphor in education; hidden but effective

abstract the aim of this paper is to illustrate the role of metaphor in education. the main thesis is that the metaphors shape our attitude towards education implicitly.  with this aim in mind, first, the concept of metaphor is briefly introduced, and then three of the most famous metaphors that have been used in education (factories, gardening and travel), and their differences are discussed. ...