Researchers at Vanderbilt University discovered that neural noise weakens and degrades the brain's representation of an ignored stimulus, making it harder to distinguish between similar orientations. This 'neural noise' also broadens the range of interfering orientations during suppression, further reducing fidelity.
A new computer model reveals striking detail about sunspots, including their structure and dynamics. The simulations capture convective flow and energy movement that underlie sunspots, enabling scientists to better understand their role in solar output and climate patterns.
Researchers at Northwestern University found that young adults with low aerobic fitness levels are two to three times more likely to develop diabetes over a 20-year period. The study highlights the importance of regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy body weight to reduce the risk of chronic disease.
A small study found that people believe bottled water has health benefits, but are unsure of the extent. Convenience and taste were more influential factors for participants when choosing bottled water.
A new study by Uppsala University researchers has discovered nearly half of Mediterranean gulls in southern France exhibit antibiotic resistance. The bacteria in question are capable of spreading rapidly and have broken down powerful antibiotics.
The University of Oklahoma has presented comprehensive recommendations for modernizing the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ) to improve weather monitoring, forecasting, and warning systems. The goal is to strengthen public safety and support the growth of Croatia's economy during times of global environmental change.
A new study published in The Journal of Urology found a significant association between lower urinary tract symptoms and metabolic syndrome. Researchers analyzed data from over 1,900 men and discovered that those with mild to severe LUTS were more likely to suffer from MetS.
Scientists have discovered a natural deep earth pump that plays a crucial role in forming ore deposits and earthquakes. The process, called creep cavitation, involves fluid being pumped through pores in deformed rock, contributing to tectonic plate movement and mantle degassing.
McGill University has received $63 million in funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation to support five research projects. These initiatives focus on green chemistry, broadband, embryology, cancer, and disease therapy, with world-class researchers exploring ways to address major public health problems.
Well-designed telemedicine systems offer substantial benefits in improving access to quality healthcare, providing effective clinical decision support, promoting patient-centered care, and enhancing chronic disease management. The authors emphasize that telemedicine is a crucial component of successful healthcare reform.
Nearly half of the world's population is at risk of malarial infection, causing over 250 million clinical episodes and one million deaths each year. Researchers identified key challenges in developing a protective malaria vaccine, including identifying which proteins provoke a strong immune response.
Scientists predict a massive dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, threatening commercial and recreational fisheries. The predicted size could be as large as New Jersey, caused by nutrient runoff from agricultural activity.
Researchers from Caltech found that contact inhibition is a tunable system influenced by growth factors like EGF. They discovered a threshold of sensitivity to EGF that can be manipulated to control cell division and tissue growth.
A recent study has identified biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid that can reveal Alzheimer's disease at a very early stage, even in patients with minimal memory impairment. The findings suggest that these biomarkers can predict the risk of deterioration by 27 times higher than the control group.
A study by Oregon State University researchers found that school-based prevention programs can significantly reduce substance abuse, violent behavior, and sexual activity in fifth graders. Participating students were about half as likely to engage in these problem behaviors compared to non-participants.
A study by Michigan Medicine researchers found that two types of antibiotics can cause moderate to wide-ranging changes in the ranks of helpful guardians in the gut. The armada of good bacteria did not recover its former diversity even many weeks after a course of antibiotics was over.
A new study projects that nearly half of older patients currently on the kidney transplant waiting list will die before receiving an organ from a deceased donor. The study found significant variations in mortality rates across different transplant regions and patient groups, including African Americans and those aged 70 or older.
In species where females cannot pick up the slack, males' mating displays reliably indicate how much care they will provide. Honest male signals for parenting are more effective when males must care for offspring, according to Yale researchers.
Scientists have uncovered fossil evidence for reproduction using giant sperm in ostracods dating back to 100 million years ago. The discovery reveals an evolutionarily successful reproduction strategy that comes at a high price, investing energy in producing and carrying enormous sperm.
Researchers developed a technique inspired by the human eye to improve object recognition, surveillance, and shape reconstruction. The new algorithm uses trust search regions to quickly identify objects with nearly double the accuracy of previous methods.
Researchers reject popular DNA analysis suggesting humans are closely related to chimpanzees, proposing a new grouping for humans, orangutans and common ancestors. A scenario of the migration and evolution of 'dental hominoids' is presented.
Researchers discovered a pressure-driven quantum critical regime in chromium, achieving the first direct measurement of a 'naked' quantum singularity in an elemental magnet. This breakthrough paves the way for understanding magnetic quantum criticality in more complex systems.
Researchers found the malfunctioning ABCG2 gene can lead to high urate levels, causing inflammation and pain. The gene is responsible for transporting urate out of the kidney and into urine, and its mutation may be linked to 10% of gout cases in Caucasians.
Researchers reconstructed CO2 levels over the past 2.1 million years, revealing that today's levels are 38% higher than the highest recorded levels in history. The study confirms that warmer intervals coincided with higher carbon dioxide levels, shedding new light on the earth's cycles of cooling and warming.
Research shows that global health funding has quadrupled from $5.6 billion in 1990 to $21.8 billion in 2007, with private donors displacing governments as the major channels of funding. However, many poorest countries still receive less aid than wealthier nations.
A study of 16 married stroke survivors found that their sexual relationships were significantly affected, with blurred gender roles and feelings of anger and frustration. The researchers identified four key recommendations for clinical practice, including nurse education on the physical and psychosocial effects of stroke.
Researchers found evidence of a massive 4,500-year-old drought in Africa and Asia, as well as a rapid 5,200-year-old cooling event that accelerated tropical glacier growth. The findings suggest that similar changes are currently occurring globally.
Researchers propose effective autonomy of schools to design educational programs tailored to socio-cultural contexts and involve families in managing schools. The study highlights the need for collective consciousness and political will to enact changes in the current organizational structure.
Researchers found that Money spiders infected with Rickettsia bacteria have reduced long-distance dispersal, suggesting an adaptive modification by the bacteria to promote transmission. Treating the spiders with antibiotics increased their ballooning frequency.
Johns Hopkins researchers have made a breakthrough in editing human stem cells, enabling the development of patient-specific therapies for rare blood diseases like paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). The team successfully targeted and edited a gene responsible for causing PNH, improving on standard gene targeting technology.
Researchers have finally proven the link between Merkel cells and light touch sensation, a discovery that resolves a 100-year-old mystery in neuroscience. The study found that Merkel cells, typically associated with texture and shape perception, play a crucial role in detecting light touch.
The MMS mission will investigate magnetic reconnection, a fundamental process that impacts technologies like communications and power grids. The four observatories will be deployed in a pyramid configuration to study the phenomenon near the boundary between Earth's magnetosphere and solar wind.
The IBEX spacecraft has made the first observations of very fast hydrogen atoms coming from the moon, shedding light on the 'recycling' process undertaken by particles throughout the solar system and beyond. The neutral atoms can travel long distances before they are stripped of their electrons and become ions.
A Stanford University study reveals dramatic differences in fertilizer use between China and sub-Saharan Africa, with excessive use in China causing environmental harm while inadequate inputs in Africa lead to soil depletion. The report warns against a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to managing global food production.
A new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society reveals that analyzing fecal DNA can accurately estimate tiger populations. This non-invasive technique allows researchers to identify individual animals and establish baseline numbers in areas where camera trapping is impractical.
Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a new light sensor that can generate multiple excitons per photon, breaking conventional limitations in semiconductor devices. This breakthrough has the potential to significantly improve the sensitivity and efficiency of digital cameras, leading to better low-light picture quality.
A new study reveals that medical insurers' reimbursement documents can provide insights into the long-term health of kidney transplant patients. The research found that combined use of Medicare billing claims from both Part A and Part B accurately documented cardiovascular events after transplantation, with a high sensitivity rate.
A new computing method called SATé can determine the relatedness of living things much faster and accurately analyze DNA sequences that are rapidly evolving. It creates detailed, accurate evolutionary trees that reveal the relationships among plants, animals, and other organisms.
Researchers at Ohio State University have identified two potential anti-cancer agents that target multiple genes associated with invasive liver cancer behavior. The compounds, Resveratol and 17-allylamino-geldanamycin (17-AAG), may reverse gene changes linked to tumor progression.
A study by McGill University researchers has captured an image of a mechanism underlying long-term memory formation. New proteins are made locally at the synapse, increasing synaptic strength and reinforcing memories.
Research reveals that street lights disrupt the navigation and flight patterns of slow-flying woodland bats, causing them to stray from their preferred routes and face increased predation risk. The study highlights the importance of adopting species-specific approaches to understanding the consequences of artificial light pollution.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology developed a new method, called MAILD, to quickly and reliably detect metabolites in biological samples. The technique uses classical mass spectrometry and enables the measurement of a large number of metabolites, opening doors for targeted and high-throughput metabolomics.
A water snake from South East Asia has developed an unusual hunting technique that startles fish into fleeing towards its head. The snake uses sound waves to trigger the fish's 'C-start' response, driving them to swim directly into its jaws.
GridFTP, a protocol developed by Argonne National Laboratory, has been used to transfer unprecedented amounts of data at a rate of 200 megabytes per second. This technology enables large-scale collaborative science projects to share secure, robust, and high-speed bulk data.
A recent study found that teen contraceptive use declined between 2003 and 2007, despite no change in teen sexual activity. The authors suggest faltering HIV prevention efforts or inadequate sex education as contributing factors.
Global health initiatives have improved service delivery, financing, and governance in poorer countries, but with room for improvement. The report highlights the need to strengthen health systems, generate more reliable data, and increase national and global health financing.
A study published in Nutrition Journal found that many parents misinterpret common baby behaviors as milk intolerance and needlessly switch formulas. The randomized study demonstrated no difference in infant tolerance of two cow milk formulas over a 60-day feeding trial.
A UNH researcher received a Presidential Environmental Award for his work on the South Coast Habitat Restoration Project, which restored ecologically important eelgrass meadows to tidal ponds in Rhode Island. The project utilized a site selection model developed by the researcher, identifying locations most favorable to eelgrass growth.
Researchers are developing effective treatment strategies and animal model systems to study the effects of explosive blast-induced traumatic brain injury. Current research aims to recreate battlefield injuries in laboratory settings to better understand head injuries sustained during combat.
Researchers at Oregon State University have completed the largest animal study in toxicology, challenging basic concepts of carcinogen risk assessment. The findings suggest that some chemicals may be safe at levels far higher than currently believed, and traditional methods need re-evaluation.
A €12 million European Union-funded study led by the University of Manchester aims to tackle tumour hypoxia, a critical factor hindering effective cancer treatment. Researchers will investigate how hypoxia affects cell behavior and develop targeted therapies to improve patient outcomes.
A new study by Leveson Consulting estimates NOAA's National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) provides over $2.4 billion in annual economic benefits. Refining the system could net an additional $522 million in annual economic benefits, mainly due to improved accuracy of position and elevation data.
A letter to the editor suggests that older individuals may be protected from infection due to previous exposure to similar H1N1 strains. This could potentially impact the severity of current and future pandemics.
Researchers found Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) subways had the highest average noise levels in New York City, with levels high enough to increase the risk of noise-induced hearing loss. The study highlights the need for increased transit infrastructure maintenance and personal protection measures to reduce noise exposure.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University discovered that the Ras protein can be transferred from cancer cells into immune cells, strengthening the immune system and activating it against cancer. This discovery opens up new possibilities for creating cancer drugs targeting this specific threat.
Researchers at Duke University developed a laboratory robot that can detect tiny pieces of metal within flesh using 3D ultrasound technology. The robot successfully guided a needle to its location without human assistance, paving the way for potential treatments of shrapnel injuries and medical procedures like prostate cancer treatment.
The Socrates Fellows program, a federally funded initiative, pairs graduate students with high school science teachers and their students to promote science education. After its first full year of operation, the program is deemed a success by participating grad students, teachers, and high school students.
Researchers found that omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants may delay AMD progression, with higher intake reducing risk. Early stages benefited from DHA, while advanced stages were protected by combination of nutrients.
A new software program uses mathematical modeling to prescribe optimal light exposure for avoiding jet lag, resulting in quicker re-synchronization and improved performance. The method considers background light levels and time zones traveled, providing personalized recommendations for bright light intervention.
The British Climate Act is deemed flawed, with no one knowing how fast a major economy can decarbonize. Experts argue that policy should focus on developing clean technologies rather than setting unobtainable targets.