Researchers have discovered that our brains contain a built-in navigation system, much like satellite navigation, with in-built maps, grids and compasses. The hippocampus is the key area responsible for learning, memory and navigation, which becomes more refined and powerful in London taxi drivers over years of experience.
Researchers used fMRI scans to study how listeners' brains predict speaker's words before hearing the final sound. The team found that the brain considers multiple possible words with similar sounds and meanings before settling on the correct word.
Task-shifting from doctors to nurses and lay providers can improve primary health care coverage. Effective supervision and alternative financing structures are key to success.
Researchers at University of Montreal discover that superconductivity can induce magnetism, contrary to previous belief. The experiment shows magnetic order in a material only when it's in the superconducting state.
Researchers at Indiana University have discovered a molecule that could lead to new treatments for heart attacks and protect hearts during open heart surgery. The compound, Alda-1, was found to activate an enzyme that reduces cell death caused by lack of blood flow to the heart.
The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has received a $250,000 grant from the US Green Building Council to investigate the link between daylight design and student well-being. The project aims to quantify the impact of daylight on students' performance, sleep quality, and stress levels.
Researchers have isolated cancer stem cells using a specific protein that only appears in these cells, opening the door for new therapy targeting them. This could lead to a reduction in cancer recurrence by killing stem cells before they can divide.
Reinnervate has developed a polystyrene foam scaffold to grow cells in 3D, revolutionizing drug testing and saving companies money. The company is now poised for commercial manufacture and global sales after securing significant funding.
Scientists have developed nanometer-sized cargo ships that can evade the body's immune system, ferrying anti-cancer drugs and markers into tumors. The nano-cargo-ship system integrates therapeutic and diagnostic functions in a single device, allowing for targeted delivery of toxic anti-cancer drugs to tumors in high concentrations.
A national study found that post-traumatic stress disorder and depression were prevalent among injured patients one year after suffering a serious injury. Injured patients diagnosed with PTSD or depression were six times more likely to not have returned to work in the year following the injury.
Listeriosis is a serious foodborne illness that affects healthy individuals but is life-threatening for pregnant women, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. In Canada, recent outbreaks linked to deli meats and cheese have prompted guidelines for symptom management and risk reduction.
Paleontologists have found a previously unknown amphibious predator species named Kryostega collinsoni, which had large teeth on the roof of its mouth, similar to those at the edge. The discovery sheds new light on Antarctica's climate during the Triassic period and suggests that it was warmer than today.
Researchers identify aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) as a crucial enzyme in reducing cellular damage from free radicals. Activation of ALDH2 increases its activity during heart attacks, leading to a significant drop in associated damage and potential applications for treating various diseases.
Researchers found that computer models underpredicted BRCA mutation frequency in Asian-American women by 50% compared to Caucasian counterparts. This suggests that more women of Asian descent may be at increased risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers than previously believed.
A recent study confirms the importance of primary health care in addressing maternal and child deaths, HIV, and chronic diseases. The authors emphasize the need for community participation, intersectoral collaboration, and equitable access to healthcare. To achieve universal health coverage, reviving Alma-Ata's core values is crucial.
Researchers found that shorter preservice training can be just as effective as longer durations in improving child care quality. The study, published in The Lancet, suggests that deploying health workers with shorter training in underserved areas could aid the scale-up of child-survival interventions.
Research highlights the importance of community involvement in primary health care, with systematic reviews identifying effective interventions to reduce maternal and child mortality. Inclusion of these evidence-based interventions can prevent up to 32% of maternal deaths and 40% of post-neonatal deaths.
Astronomers have observed the most detailed picture of a gamma-ray burst, detected by NASA's Swift satellite on March 19. The burst was so bright it became visible to human eyes and provided insights into the universe's most luminous explosions.
Clemson University researcher John R. Saylor has received a $700,000 CDC grant to investigate methods for reducing harmful particulate levels in coal mines. The goal is to lower the incidence of black lung disease and its affiliated ailments by lowering coal-mine dust exposure.
A UC Riverside botanist is investigating how Southern California's plants affect the region's drought. The research aims to identify plant species most susceptible to drought and predict water evaporation from desert chaparral ecosystems.
The Lancet Alma-Ata Working Group emphasizes the need for strengthening primary health care infrastructure, removing user fees, and increasing community participation. To achieve 'Health for All' by 2000 and meet the Millennium Development Goals, these priorities must be addressed with substantial acceleration.
African countries are grappling with a growing number of chronic infectious and non-communicable diseases due to scale-up of antiretroviral therapy for HIV. Mortality from all-cause diseases increased by 87% between 1992 and 2005, primarily due to rising deaths from infectious disease affecting both sexes.
Stevens Institute of Technology has been awarded two grants from the National Science Foundation to support research and training in micro/nanoscale sensors, actuators, and devices. The grants will enable the team to develop advanced acoustic emission sensors with high sensitivity and conformability.
The University of Tennessee at Knoxville has won two $3 million National Science Foundation grants to create graduate research programs focusing on computational biology and sustainable energy. The programs, STAIR and SCALE-IT, will support up to 15 graduate students each with significant stipends and tuition waivers.
Researchers found that our brains use the timing of visual input to recognize objects, even when they appear differently. By analyzing neural activity in monkeys, they demonstrated that the brain can learn to confuse similar images through temporal contiguity, leading to improved object recognition.
The US Department of Justice has awarded NJIT a grant to further develop child-safe gun technology, improving its patented dynamic grip recognition technology and moving it closer to commercial consideration. The goal is to create a complete prototype weapon that validates the biometric authorization concept.
A combination regimen of cardiovascular drugs could avert almost 18 million deaths in 23 low-income countries for $1.10 per person. Integration of primary care approaches with public policies is crucial for effective management of chronic diseases.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) concludes that internet-based education is associated with large learning gains compared to traditional instructional methods. Internet-based instruction was shown to be as effective as traditional methods in teaching health-care professionals, offering unique ...
Despite political instability and low income, these countries have made significant strides in child mortality reduction through comprehensive PHC packages, district management systems, and investment in primary care. Cuba's unique approach to preventive care has led to a lower child mortality rate than the US despite having a much low...
A new study finds that early dinosaurs were not superior to their competitors, the crurotarsan group, which survived two mass extinctions without special traits. The research reveals that dinosaurs lucked out when the crurotarsans were hit hard during a mass extinction event.
The Large Hadron Collider has begun circulating protons through its full circumference, a significant milestone in the field of particle physics. The event was celebrated with a pajama party at Fermilab's Remote Operations Center, where researchers and engineers gathered to mark the occasion.
Recent research has shown a significant improvement in two-year survival rates for patients with multiple myeloma, from 48-66% in the 1980s to around 90% today. Potent new drugs have been instrumental in this breakthrough, offering improved outcomes without severe side effects.
A Yale University astrophysicist has discovered an upper mass limit for black holes, which appear to curb their growth at around 10 billion times the mass of our Sun. This finding has implications for the study of galaxy formation and suggests that black holes may play a key role in regulating star formation.
A recent study found that European American couples tend to prefer MHC-dissimilar mates, suggesting a biological component to mate choice. In contrast, African couples showed no significant MHC similarity or dissimilarity.
A study by Indiana University found that rural HIV care providers face significant stigma and discrimination, hindering their ability to provide quality care. This has important health and economic implications, highlighting inefficiencies in the public health system.
Researchers found a substantial inconsistency between healthful snack choice intentions and actual behavior, with 27% switching to unhealthy snacks when presented. However, individuals who plan to make a healthy choice are more likely to do so than those who plan to make an unhealthy choice.
Emory University licensed its ERTb software to Syntermed for enhanced cardiac imaging, utilizing SPECT technology to diagnose coronary artery disease. The software improves image quality, accuracy, and patient outcomes in cardiovascular diagnosis and prognosis.
A cognitive behavioural therapy-based programme delivered by primary health workers significantly reduced maternal depression in resource-poor settings. The study also found improvements in infant health, including lower diarrheal episodes and increased vaccine completion.
Scientists have achieved a breakthrough in materials science by taking a detailed snapshot of nanoscale structures using the Lab's Dynamic Transmission Electron Microscope (DTEM). The study reveals brief changes in structure during cooling, providing insight into the formation mechanism of reactive multilayer foils.
A Salk Institute team identified p75 as an unexpected factor that helps keep retinal axons from going astray. The protein previously known for regulating cell survival leads a double life as an axon guidance protein.
A new study reveals that dinosaurs were not superior to their crocodile cousins during the Triassic period. In fact, crurotarsans - a group closely related to dinosaurs and crocodiles - outcompeted them for resources and explored a larger range of body types and lifestyles.
Researchers analyzed carbon dioxide levels and found a remarkable correlation with climate fluctuations over 70,000 years. The study confirms the validity of computer models projecting a warmer climate due to human activities.
A study by Brandeis University suggests that age-related differences exist in how people view their past, present, and future expectations. Younger adults tend to be more optimistic about their future, while older adults are more realistic and accurate in their predictions.
A Brown-led research team has discovered that the Lake Tanganyika area's climate is linked to ocean and atmospheric patterns in the Northern Hemisphere. The region's rainfall sensitivity is high, with small changes triggering significant precipitation fluctuations.
Researchers identified A2BAR as a potential therapeutic target for acute lung injury, which spontaneously resolves in some individuals. Additionally, human immune cells' secreted proteins enhance the clearance of bacteria by other immune cells, offering a new mechanism for bacterial infections.
Researchers at Mayo Clinic have successfully used stem cells to regenerate heart tissue and repair dilated cardiomyopathy, a genetic defect. The treatment improved heart performance, synchronized electrical impulses, and halted deterioration in genetically altered mice with heritable dilated cardiomyopathy.
The latest child mortality figures show a 27% decrease in global mortality rates for children under five since 1990. Despite progress in some low-income countries, many are not on track to meet the target of reducing child mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015.
A genetic mutation in the Prion Protein Gene is linked to mad cow disease, according to a new study by Kansas State University researcher Juergen A. Richt. The mutation affects less than 1 in 2,000 cattle and can be combated through selective breeding and culling of genetically affected animals.
A Stanford study found that computer models used to identify breast cancer mutations in white women were less accurate for Asian women. The researchers sequenced the genes of 200 Asian-American women and compared them to the models' predictions, finding that both programs performed poorly in predicting the presence of mutations. This u...