Gut microbiota, metabolism and psychopathology:A critical review and novel perspectives

Psychiatric disorders are often associated with metabolic comorbidities. However, the mechanisms through which metabolic and psychiatric disorders are connected remain unclear. Pre-clinical studies in rodents indicate that the bidirectional signaling between the intestine and the brain, the so-called microbiome-gut-brain axis, plays an important role in the regulation of both metabolism and behavior. The gut microbiome produces a vast number of metabolites that may be transported into the host and play a part in homeostatic control of metabolism as well as brain function. In addition to short chain fatty acids, many of these metabolites have been identified in recent years. To what extent both microbiota and their products control human metabolism and behavior is a subject of intense investigation. In this review, we will discuss the most recent findings concerning alterations in the gut microbiota as a possible pathophysiological factor for the co-occurrence of metabolic comorbidities in psychiatric disorders

Viewpoint: filovirus haemorrhagic fever outbreaks: much ado about nothing?

The recent outbreak of Marburg haemorrhagic fever in the Democratic Republic of Congo has put the filovirus threat back on the international health agenda. This paper gives an overview of Marburg and Ebola outbreaks so far observed and puts them in a public health perspective. Damage on the local level has been devastating at times, but was marginal on the international level despite the considerable media attention these outbreaks received. The potential hazard of outbreaks, however, after export of filovirus from its natural environment into metropolitan areas, is argued to be considerable. Some avenues for future research and intervention are explored. Beyond the obvious need to find the reservoir and study the natural history, public health strategies for a more timely and efficient response are urgently needed

Two-dimensional superconductivity at the (111)LaAlO3_3/SrTiO3_3 interface

We report on the discovery and transport study of the superconducting ground state present at the (111)LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interface. The superconducting transition is consistent with a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition and its 2D nature is further corroborated by the anisotropy of the critical magnetic field, as calculated by Tinkham. The estimated superconducting layer thickness and coherence length are 10 nm and 60 nm, respectively. The results of this work provide a new platform to clarify the microscopic details of superconductivity at LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interfaces, in particular in what concerns the link with orbital symmetry.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Isotope effects in underdoped cuprate superconductors: a quantum phenomenon

We show that the unusual doping dependence of the isotope effects on transition temperature and zero temperature in - plane penetration depth naturally follows from the doping driven 3D-2D crossover, the 2D quantum superconductor to insulator transition (QSI) in the underdoped limit and the change of the relative doping concentration upon isotope substitution. Close to the QSI transition both, the isotope coefficient of transition temperature and penetration depth approach the coefficient of the relative dopant concentration, and its divergence sets the scale. These predictions are fully consistent with the experimental data and imply that close to the underdoped limit the unusual isotope effect on transition temperature and penetration depth uncovers critical phenomena associated with the quantum superconductor to insulator transition in two dimensions.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure