Abstract
Male or Female? It Depends on the Dose
Highlights
Eating at an Ethiopian restaurant might give one an appreciation for the process of phagocytosis, a widespread method immune cells use to ingest particles
The pseudopods seal around the object, and a bit of the cell membrane that encases the object buds off and travels inside the cell
High-resolution technique called fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), a new study reveals the patterns of protein activities that help regulate phagocytosis
Summary
Any kid who spent summers playing in the woods knew Mom wouldn’t let you back in the house without a headto-toe search for ticks—vectors for a wide range of pathogens throughout the world’s temperate regions. From 1991 to 2004, the researchers collected temperature and precipitation data, and estimated the abundance of acorns and animals on six plots of land From this 13-year dataset, they developed computer models to estimate how each of the 11 variables (including multiple climate and deer indexes) contributed to yearly variations in the density of infected ticks and risk of human exposure. All the while neurons should be conveying precise signals, they are exposed to various sources of electrical noise This noise causes “jitter”—tiny fluctuations in the timing of any single action potential with respect to the signal that can accumulate and affect the accuracy of a transmitted message. By establishing a hyperpolarizing period, oscillations prevent jitter accumulation, which improves action potential precision and stimulus discrimination That this feature occurs in different types of neurons suggests a relatively simple and general underlying mechanism, the researchers argue.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
