The social media are undermining young people’s self-esteem
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A study by the University of Córdoba shows how use of the social media by young people adversely affects their self-perception of body image, and links this phenomenon to eating disorders
The social media are part of our everyday lives, enabling new methods of communication, improved access to information and even the development of new working strategies, in a range of fields including education. Yet the use – or abuse – of social media has also given rise to a number of problems, particularly among the most exposed sectors of the population.
An experiment in mice palliates kidney disease caused by diabetes
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Research group succeeds in removing a protein from kidney cells involved in blood filtration
Diabetes has become a major health problem worldwide; some estimates suggest that in twenty years' time there will be around 600 million diabetics. The disease is caused by impaired insulin secretion, which in turn hinders cell glucose uptake; as a result, sugar levels in the bloodstream remain excessively high. One of the most common complications of diabetes is diabetic nephropathy, a disease which affects the ability of the kidneys to eliminate waste matter.
Researchers disprove one of the most widespread assumptions among geneticists regarding DNA
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A study by a Córdoba research team, just published in Proceedings of the USA National Academy of Sciences, shows that spontaneous DNA gaps are not – as hitherto believed – equivalent to those produced during DNA repair
Ever since DNA was first isolated in 1869, the scientific community has constantly sought to determine how it works, and reveal its secrets. Despite advances in this field, a great deal still remains to be discovered. A good example is the research published today in Proceedings of the USA National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) by a University of Córdoba research groupassigned to the Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica (IMIBIC) andled by two professors in the Department of Genetics, Rafael Rodríguez Ariza and María Teresa Roldán Arjona.
Scientists at the University of Córdoba are validating a new molecular biology research technique with a rodent species that could be used as a model
Mus musculus is the most common mouse species, and the mammal most widely used in laboratory experiments, among other things because its genome and immune system are very similar to those of humans, making it a useful model.
Research into a new ventilation system for reducing hospital infections
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The Universities of Córdoba and Valladolid are looking at different ventilation systems for hospital wards
The serious risk of infection currently faced by hospital patients is a matter of concern for the scientific community. It is estimated that 6% of patients admitted to hospital contract infections, whose treatment across Europe costs seven billion euros a year. These infections may be spread by direct contact with infected subjects, through blood, through water or through the air. Airborne hospital infections have been studied by a research group at the University of Córdoba, which has assessed the risk of airborne infection as a function of the hospital ventilation system used.
Researchers block liver cancer in rats using a molecule found in citrus fruits
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The incidence of tumoral nodes fell to virtually zero in rats receiving hesperidin
Hesperidin is a molecule belonging to the flavonoid group, found in the pith of certain citrus fruits. It is believed to play a major role in plant defence systems, and recent research suggests that it could be used to fight hepatocellular carcinoma, the fifth most frequently-diagnosed malignancy worldwide and the third most common cause of cancer-related death.