by Michael Fossel

Received: 20 March 2018;  Published: 28 March 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1801004

All of us are intuitively aware, and many of us explicitly aware as well, of the meaning of geriatrics as a specialty. After all, most of us practice geriatrics or we have been intimately involved with this area and we are know the reality of geriatrics. Or do we? Geriatrics is an oddly ill-defined specialty when you look at it more carefully. Some of us practice medicine, some of us practice in the social sciences, and many of us simply do our jobs day-to-day and try to get by. What we share, however, is the heart [...]

by Michael Fossel

Received: 12 December 2017;  Published: 24 December 2017;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1704003

by Giacinto Libertini

Received: 19 February 2017;  Published: 13 April 2017;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1702002

Currently, geriatric medicine consists mainly of palliative treatment of the disorders that characterize senile decay. This is perfectly compatible with the prevailing view that aging is the inevitable result of multiple degenerative processes that cannot be treated effectively as they are, in themselves, inevitable and irreversible. This interpretation of aging clashes with a mass of data and arguments that, conversely, indicate that aging is a specific physiological function, favoured by supra-individual natural [...]

by Michael Fossel

Received: 11 December 2016;  Published: 06 January 2017;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1701001

Geriatrics, and much of clinical medicine, is on the verge of a profound transformational shift. Until now, there has been a sharp conceptual divide between diseases which can be readily and effectively treated, and diseases which we have thought to be beyond clinical intervention. In the first disease category, are many of the most common infections that respond to antibiotics and immunizations. We have made dramatic changes in the demographics and the mortality of many such treatable diseases. At the other extrem [...]

by Taslim Uddin  , Fatema Tuz Zohora  , Tajmin Khanam  , Moumita Akter  , Lubaba Ibnul Himika  , Anika Tabassum Aziz  , Fariha Tabassum  , Syeda Marjia Kajol Tushy  , Salaha Aktar  , Maisha Maliha Misha  , Shaikh Nuzhat Nawshin Nimu  , Sadia Tasnim  , Shammi Akter Joya  , Israt Tasnim Mahisa  and Shahrin Akter Pinky

Received: 09 January 2026;  Published: 15 April 2026;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2602337

Changes in the environment driven by climate change are becoming significant stressors that impact brain function, but the connections between these changes and neural plasticity remain unclear. This review aims to offer a comprehensive synthesis of the impact of climate-related stressors on neural plasticity via genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. A structured literature search (2000-2025) was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, integrating evidence from in vitro, animal, and human studies. Findings [...]

by Elham Alimoradi  , Parham Nejati  , Fatemeh Molavi  , Setareh Isaee  , Soudeh Ghafouri-Fard  and Reza Alibakhshi

Received: 25 November 2025;  Published: 13 April 2026;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2602336

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) describes a diverse group of clinically and genetically distinct disorders of the auditory system. SNHL is associated with mutations in up to 150 genes. Among them is Cadherin 23 (CDH23), which is associated with both Usher syndrome and non-syndromic hearing loss. In the current study, we used WES to find the genetic cause of SNHL in an extended Iranian family. WES and subsequent Sanger sequencing confirmed the occurrence of a novel homozygote variant in the CDH23 gene (c.817T>C, p [...]

by Anastasiia Kornutii  , Oleksandr Kornutii  , Ivanna Shymanska  , Maiia Bondarenko  and Natalia Prokopchuk

Received: 12 September 2025;  Published: 13 April 2026;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2602335

Craniosynostosis is a disorder characterized by premature closure of cranial sutures, resulting in restricted skull growth perpendicular to the affected suture and compensatory growth in other directions. Over 180 syndromes have been classified under craniosynostosis, of which eight are associated with mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) gene: isolated coronal synostosis, Pfeiffer syndrome, Crouzon syndrome, Apert syndrome, Beare–Stevens syndrome, Jackson–Weiss syndrome, Crouzon syndrome wi [...]

by Thu-Thao Thi Huynh  , Thi Nga Nguyen  , Anh-Duy Hoang Nguyen  and Minh Trong Quang

Received: 15 January 2026;  Published: 07 April 2026;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2602334

Rauvolfia tetraphylla L. (1753) is an important medicinal species of Apocynaceae, widely used for its rich indole alkaloids and related bioactive compounds. We report the first complete chloroplast genome of R. tetraphylla. The genome exhibits a typical circular quadripartite structure of 155,667 bp, with an overall GC content of 37.8%. The genome comprises a large single-copy (LSC) region of 86,332 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 17,853 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 25,741 bp each. A to [...]

by Lyubov Starodub  , Nataliia Mokhnachova  and Ostap Zhukorskyi

Received: 01 December 2025;  Published: 01 April 2026;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2602333

The article reveals the variability of the genome of cattle of the local small-numbered domestic Brown Carpathian breed using cytogenetic and molecular genetic polylocus markers, and justifies the need to integrate local breeds into the modern system of agricultural production in accordance with FAO requirements. The work aimed to study the genetic uniqueness of cows of the brown Carpathian breed using cytogenetic and molecular genetic markers. The karyotype of the animals corresponded to the species norm and was 2 [...]

by Thomas Liehr

Received: 21 January 2026;  Published: 26 March 2026;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2601332

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is now standard in prenatal care in many countries, even though it was introduced only about 15 years ago. Due to its rapid adoption into decades-old prenatal care plans, gynecologists, obstetricians, and the general public still struggle to understand the possibilities, benefits, and limitations of NIPT. The biggest challenge facing NIPT is that comprehensive training for healthcare professionals and independent, unbiased information for pregnant women and their families about [...]