Navy pilot training enhanced by AEMASE 'smart machine' developed at Sandia Labs

Navy pilots and other flight specialists soon will have a new "smart machine" installed in training simulators that learns from expert instructors to more efficiently train their students.

McLean Hospital study finds herbal extract may curb binge drinking

An extract of the Chinese herb kudzu dramatically reduces drinking and may be useful in the treatment of alcoholism and curbing binge drinking, according to a new study by McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School researchers.

UCLA researchers map damaged connections in Phineas Gage's brain

Poor Phineas Gage. In 1848, the supervisor for the Rutland and Burlington Railroad in Vermont was using a 13-pound, 3-foot-7-inch rod to pack blasting powder into a rock when he triggered an explosion that drove the rod through his left cheek and out of the top of his head. As reported at the time, the rod was later found, "smeared with blood and brains."

1,000 years of climate data confirms Australia's warming

In the first study of its kind in Australasia, scientists have used 27 natural climate records to create the first large-scale temperature reconstruction for the region over the last 1000 years.

Herschel Space Observatory study reveals galaxy-packed filament

A McGill-led research team using the Herschel Space Observatory has discovered a giant, galaxy-packed filament ablaze with billions of new stars.

Testing for mutations identified in squamous cell lung cancer tumors helps personalize treatment

Screening lung cancer tumor samples for cancer-causing, or "driver," genetic mutations can help physicians tailor patients' treatments to target those specific mutations.

Fox Chase researchers find no disparities in imaging before breast cancer surgery

If racial and ethnic disparities in breast cancer exist, they are not due to differences in the use of imaging to assess the extent of tumors before surgery.

New technique reveals unseen information in DNA code

Imagine reading an entire book, but then realizing that your glasses did not allow you to distinguish "g" from "q." What details did you miss?

Suspicion resides in 2 regions of the brain

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on my parahippocampal gyrus.

UF researchers name new extinct giant turtle found near world's largest snake

University of Florida researchers have described a new extinct giant turtle species from the same Colombian mine where they discovered Titanoboa - and one of the only animals the world's largest snake could not have eaten.

Experts call for clinical trials to test non-skeletal benefits of vitamin D

The Endocrine Society's new scientific statement published online today represents the first comprehensive evaluation of both the basic and clinical evidence related to the non-skeletal effects of vitamin D.

Accelerated chemotherapy given before surgery benefits patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer

For some patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, treatment may begin before they undergo cystectomy, or surgical removal of the bladder.

Preventing post-traumatic stress

A decade after the start of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, studies have shown that the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among troops is surprisingly low, and a Harvard researcher credits the drop, in part, to new efforts by the Army to prevent PTSD, and to ensure those who do develop the disorder receive the best treatment available.

Simple procedure lowers blood pressure in kidney disease patients

Disrupting certain nerves in the kidneys can safely and effectively lower blood pressure in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hypertension.

When you eat matters, not just what you eat

When it comes to weight gain, when you eat might be at least as important as what you eat. That's the conclusion of a study reported in the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism published early online on May 17th.

Specialized care by experienced teams cuts death and disability from bleeding brain aneurysms

People with bleeding brain aneurysms have the best chance of survival and full recovery if they receive aggressive emergency treatment from a specialized team at a hospital that treats a large number of patients like them every year, according to new guidelines just published by the American Stroke Association.

New Study Shows Simple Task at Six Months of Age May Predict Risk of Autism

A new prospective study of six-month-old infants at high genetic risk for autism identified weak head and neck control as a red flag for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and language and/or social developmental delays.

Pollination with precision: How flowers do it

Next Mother's Day, say it with an evolved model of logistical efficiency - a flower.

In chemical reactions, water adds speed without heat

An international team of researchers has discovered how adding trace amounts of water can tremendously speed up chemical reactions-such as hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis-in which hydrogen is one of the reactants, or starting materials.

Zebrafish could hold the key to understanding psychiatric disorders

Scientists at Queen Mary, University of London have shown that zebrafish could be used to study the underlying causes of psychiatric disorders.

NIH-led study finds genetic test results do not trigger increased use of health services

People have increasing opportunities to participate in genetic testing that can indicate their range of risk for developing a disease.

Southern pine beetle impacts on forest ecosystems

Research by USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) scientists shows that the impacts of recent outbreaks of southern pine beetle further degraded shortleaf pine-hardwood forest ecosystems in the southern Appalachian region.

Google goes cancer: Researchers use search engine algorithm to find cancer biomarkers

The strategy used by Google to decide which pages are relevant for a search query can also be used to determine which proteins in a patient's cancer are relevant for the disease progression.

Researchers reveal an RNA modification influences thousands of genes

Over the past decade, research in the field of epigenetics has revealed that chemically modified bases are abundant components of the human genome and has forced us to abandon the notion we've had since high school genetics that DNA consists of only four bases.

Weight management in pregnancy with diet is beneficial and safe and can reduce complications

For pregnant women, including those who are overweight and obese, following a healthy calorie controlled diet during pregnancy is safe and can reduce the risk of serious complications such as pre-eclampsia, diabetes and premature birth.

Phase I clinical trial shows drug shrinks melanoma brain metastases

An experimental drug targeting a common mutation in melanoma successfully shrank tumors that spread to the brain in nine out of 10 patients in part of an international phase I clinical trial report in the May 18 issue of The Lancet.

Pain relief through distraction -- it's not all in your head

Mental distractions make pain easier to take, and those pain-relieving effects aren't just in your head, according to a report published online on May 17 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication.

Salk study may offer drug-free intervention to prevent obesity and diabetes

-It turns out that when we eat may be as important as what we eat. Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have found that regular eating times and extending the daily fasting period may override the adverse health effects of a high-fat diet and prevent obesity, diabetes and liver disease in mice.

We can learn a lot from other species

Researchers at the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and the EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute have confirmed the long-held belief that studying the genes we share with other animals is useful.

Technology convergence may widen the digital divide

Technology is helping communication companies merge telephone, television and Internet services, but a push to deregulate may leave some customers on the wrong side of the digital divide during this convergence, according to a Penn State telecommunications researcher.

Genetic testing may not trigger more use of health services

People have more and more chances to participate in genetic testing that can indicate their range of risk for developing a disease.

Scientists study serious immune malfunction

Defects in the gene that encodes the XIAP protein result in a serious immune malfunction. Scientists used biochemical analyses to map the protein's ability to activate vital components of the immune system.

Weight in pregnancy best controlled by diet, study shows

Pregnant women, including those who are obese or overweight, should be encouraged to minimise weight gain through diet, according to major new research from Queen Mary, University of London.

Computing experts unveil superefficient 'inexact' chip

Researchers have unveiled an "inexact" computer chip that challenges the industry's 50-year pursuit of accuracy.

Hybrid vaccine demonstrates potential to prevent breast cancer recurrence

A breast cancer vaccine already shown to elicit a powerful immune response in women with varying levels of HER2 expression has the ability to improve recurrence rates and is well tolerated in an adjuvant setting.

Babies' susceptibility to colds linked to immune response at birth

Innate differences in immunity can be detected at birth, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. And babies with a better innate response to viruses have fewer respiratory illnesses in the first year of life.

Tiny tool can play big role against tuberculosis, UF researcher finds

A tiny filter could have a big impact around the world in the fight against tuberculosis. Using the traditional microscope-based diagnosis method as a starting point, a University of Florida lung disease specialist and colleagues in Brazil have devised a way to detect more cases of the bacterial infection.

Untangling the development of breast cancer

In two back-to-back reports published online on 17 May in Cell, researchers have sequenced the genomes of 21 breast cancers and analysed the mutations that emerged during the tumours' development.

Resolving the ortholog conjecture

Researchers at the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and the EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute have confirmed the long-held conjecture that studying the genes we share with other animals is a viable means of extrapolating information about human biology.

Common genetic variants identify autism risk in high risk siblings of children with ASD

By focusing on the identification of common genetic variants, researchers have identified 57 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that predict-with a high degree of certainty--the risk that siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will also develop the condition.

Fighting bacteria's strength in numbers

Scientists at The University of Nottingham have opened the way for more accurate research into new ways to fight dangerous bacterial infections by proving a long-held theory about how bacteria communicate with each other.

Ancient giant turtle fossil revealed

Picture a turtle the size of a Smart car, with a shell large enough to double as a kiddie pool. Paleontologists from North Carolina State University have found just such a specimen - the fossilized remains of a 60-million-year-old South American giant that lived in what is now Colombia.

Protein RAL associated with aggressive characteristics in prostate, bladder and skin cancers

We have known for years that when the proteins RalA and RalB are present, cells in dishes copy toward aggressive forms of cancer.

Strategies for producing natural and non-natural chemicals by microorganisms

Daejeon, the Republic of Korea-In our everyday life, we use gasoline, diesel, plastics, rubbers, and numerous chemicals that are derived from fossil oil through petrochemical refinery processes.

Open heart surgery for kidney disease patients

One type of open heart surgery is likely safer than the other for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

New study shows that workplace inspections save lives, don't destroy jobs

Research to be published in Science on May 18, 2012, sheds light on a hot-button political issue: the role and effectiveness of government regulation. Does it kill jobs or protect the public?

Prosthetic retina offers simple solution to restoring sight

A device which could restore sight to patients with one of the most common causes of blindness in the developed world is being developed in an international partnership.

IU research: Forest diversity from Canada to the sub-tropics influenced by family proximity

How species diversity is maintained is a fundamental question in biology. In a new study, a team of Indiana University biologists has shown for the first time that diversity is influenced on a spatial scale of unparalleled scope, in part, by how well tree seedlings survive under their own parents.

CSHL study uncovers a new exception to a decades-old rule about RNA splicing

There are always exceptions to a rule, even one that has prevailed for more than three decades, as demonstrated by a Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) study on RNA splicing, a cellular editing process.

Professor uses diamond to produce graphene quantum dots and nano-ribbons of controlled structure

Kansas State University researchers have come closer to solving an old challenge of producing graphene quantum dots of controlled shape and size at large densities, which could revolutionize electronics and optoelectronics.

With fat: What's good or bad for the heart, may be the same for the brain

It has been known for years that eating too many foods containing "bad" fats, such as saturated fats or trans fats, isn't healthy for your heart.

Religion is a potent force for cooperation and conflict, research shows

Across history and cultures, religion increases trust within groups but also may increase conflict with other groups, according to an article in a special issue of Science.

Abundance of rare DNA changes following population explosion may hold clues to common diseases

One-letter switches in the DNA code occur much more frequently in human genomes than anticipated, but are often only found in one or a few individuals.

Parents are happier people

Contrary to recent scholarship and popular belief, parents experience greater levels of happiness and meaning in life than people without children, according to researchers from the University of California, Riverside, the University of British Columbia and Stanford University.

Bluetooth baby

Checking the heart of the unborn baby usually involves a stethoscope. However, an inexpensive and accurate Bluetooth fetal heart rate monitoring system has now been developed by researchers in India for long-term home care.

A new category of heel: The customer service saboteur

There are jerks, and then there are jerks. Joel Anaya has given them a fair amount of study, focusing on that very special jerk who can take a routine service experience-dining out, paying at a cash register, air travel-and make it a nightmare.

Foul-mouthed characters in teen books have it all, study finds

Bestselling authors of teen literature portray their more foul-mouthed characters as rich, attractive and popular, a new study finds. Brigham Young University professor Sarah Coyne analyzed the use of profanity in 40 books on an adolescent bestsellers list.

UH Case Medical Center, CardioKinetix reveal promising data for treatment for heart failure

University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center and CardioKinetix Inc., a medical device company pioneering a catheter-based treatment for heart failure, today announced promising results for the first-of-its-kind catheter-based Parachute™ Ventricular Partitioning Device, a Percutaneous Ventricular Restoration Therapy (PVRT) technology for patients with ischemic heart failure.