#junctions

Day 2533, 31 May 2025

Staples Corner, Brent Cross, London

I really don't like the way this looks but apparently not enough to redo it. This is it for cellular structure!

Baby Gap

Life is full of give and take – cells and tissues exchange chemicals with each other, often pushing them through tiny channels in cell membranes. There is another way though, making use of the gaps where cells meet in the epithelium – the skin-like barrier that coats many of our tissues – but what controls this paracellular transport is a little mysterious. Here a mesh of epithelial cells (purple) nestles a developing egg cell in a fruit fly ovary. Pictured under a confocal fluorescence microscope, the cells form triangular junctions that expand or contract to create temporary intercellular spaces (green), long enough for yolk-forming proteins to squeeze through to the egg. With a similar mechanism helping chemicals move from the blood into mammalian testes, future work may unravel the role of paracellular transport in human fertility and development too.

Written by John Ankers

Image from work by Jone Isasti-Sanchez and colleagues

Institute of Animal Physiology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany

Image copyright held by the original authors

Research published in Developmental Cell, April 2021

“Le Voyageur contemplant l’Unité”

For an exercise, we were asked to reinterpret one famous painting. I chose “ Der Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer ” - “Wanderer above the sea of fog” for this exercise. I was wondering it if would still be recognizable and still have a “Impressive” kind of feel if I reinterpreted it with an abstract style and simplified shapes. I don’t really know how it came off, but I’m okay with it. 

For comparison :

As pupils return to class, roads around schools become some of the busiest and most sensitive areas in any town. Whether you are a parent, a local resident, or simply passing by, extra care is required to keep children safe.

Speed limits and signs

In Spain, speed limits near schools are often lower than the general urban limit, sometimes reduced to 20 or 30 km/h, depending on the town. These limits must always be respected at all times, unless a sign specifically indicates otherwise. If you see a warning sign showing children it is vital to slow down and be even more aware and observant than normal.

Picking up and dropping off

The start and end of the school day are particularly high-risk times. Children are often distracted and may run into the road without looking. Parents stopping to drop off or collect their children must do so in a legal and safe place. Double-parking, blocking junctions, or stopping on crossings not only breaks the law but puts children in danger.

Encourage children to exit on the pavement side where possible, and remind them to check their surroundings carefully before opening the door.

Police presence

In many towns, Local Police are stationed outside schools during peak times to manage traffic and protect children. Their instructions must be followed immediately, even if they appear to conflict with other signs or signals. Their priority is safety, and their authority in these moments is absolute.

Shared responsibility

School zones are not just a concern for parents — they affect the whole community. Whether you are driving to work, cycling past, or walking through the area, remain vigilant. Children may not always behave predictably, but with patience, lower speeds, and respect for rules, we can all help to make school areas safe.