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Peritrichous bacteria such as Escherichia coli swim in viscous fluids by forming a helical bundle of flagellar filaments. The filaments are spatially distributed around the cell body to which they are connected via a flexible hook. To…
Asymptomatic individuals in the context of malarial disease refers to subjects who carry a parasite load but do not show clinical symptoms. A correct understanding of the influence of asymptomatic individuals on transmission dynamics will…
The low sliding friction of articular cartilage in the major joints , which is crucial for its homeostasis and for joint health, has been attributed to lipid bilayers forming lubricious boundary layers at its surface. The robustness of such…
Swimming eukaryotic microorganisms such as spermatozoa, algae and ciliates self-propel in viscous fluids using travelling wave-like deformations of slender appendages called flagella. Waves are predominant because Purcell's scallop theorem…
Atherosclerosis is a disease characterized by the development of atherosclerotic plaques (APs) in arterial endothelium. The APs in part of an arterial wall are inhomogeneous on size and on distribution. In order to understand this…
Aquaporins (AQPs) are recognized as transmembrane water channels that facilitate selective water permeation through their monomeric pores. Among the AQP family, AQP6 has a unique characteristic as an anion channel, which is allosterically…
Cell motility in higher organisms (eukaryotes) is crucial to biological functions ranging from wound healing to immune response, and also implicated in diseases such as cancer. For cells crawling on hard surfaces, significant insights into…
The ability of cells to undergo reversible shape changes is often crucial to their survival. For Red Blood Cells (RBCs), irreversible alteration of the cell shape and flexibility often causes anemia. Here we show theoretically that RBCs may…
The model organism Physarum polycephalum is known to perform decentralised problem solving despite absence of nervous system. Experimental evidence and modelling studies have linked these abilities, and in particular maze-solving, to some…
Toxoplasma gondii is a parasitic protozoan that causes dis- seminated toxoplasmosis, a disease that afflicts roughly a third of the worlds population. Its virulence is predicated on its motility and ability to enter and exit nucleated…
Protein phase transitions govern numerous diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. In Parkinson's disease, distinct species of the protein alpha-synuclein undergo phase transitions from highly…
Malaria is a parasitic disease, transmitted by mosquito vectors. Plasmodium vivax presents particular challenges for disease control, in light of an undetectable reservoir of latent parasites (hypnozoites) within the host liver.…
Malaria is the leading cause of death globally, especially in sub-Saharan African countries claiming over 400,000 deaths globally each year, underscoring the critical need for continued efforts to combat this preventable and treatable…
Malaria is usually diagnosed by a microbiologist by examining a small sample of blood smear. Reducing mortality from malaria infection is possible if it is diagnosed early and followed with appropriate treatment. While the WHO has set…
We mapped current and future temperature suitability for malaria transmission in Africa using a published model that incorporates nonlinear physiological responses to temperature of the mosquito vector Anopheles gambiae and the malaria…
Parkinson disease is a very common neurodegenerative disorder. Patients usually undergo destruction of substantia nigra to develop typical symptoms such as resting tremor, hypokinesia, and rigidity. However, the exact mechanism of Parkinson…
Many studies have shown that the protection of the host $\it{Acyrthosiphon~pisum}$ (Hemiptera, Aphididae) against the parasitoid $\it{Aphidius~ervi}$ (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) is conferred by the interaction between the secondary…
Endothelial cells release various vasorelaxing molecules, such as nitric oxide and prostacyclin, along with defined factors that induce hyperpolarization of vascular smooth muscle cells through the opening of calcium-sensitive potassium…
A major part of membrane function is conducted by proteins, both integral and peripheral. Peripheral membrane proteins temporarily adhere to biological membranes, either to the lipid bilayer or to integral membrane proteins with…
A plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum is a very large cell visible by unaided eye. The plasmodium is capable for distributed sensing, parallel information processing, and decentralized optimization. It is an ideal substrate for future and…