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Johns Hopkins Medicine


Mind-controlled prosthetic arm moves individual 'fingers'

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine have successfully controlled a prosthetic arm to move individual fingers using brain mapping technology. The study, published in the Journal of Neural Engineering, represents a potential advance in technologies to restore refined hand function to those who have lost arms to injury or disease.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalJournal of Neural Engineering·DateFeb 15, 2016

Scientists take steps to make weak TB drugs strong again

Researchers found that fluoroquinolones interact with an enzyme in TB germs, but not as strongly as thought. They discovered a new way to make the drugs more potent by targeting broken DNA within the gyrase complex. This could lead to improved treatments for multidrug-resistant TB and other bacterial infections.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJan 18, 2016

'Window of recovery' can reopen after stroke

Studies show that inducing a second stroke nearby in the brains of mice can help them regain motor function to pre-stroke efficiency. This suggests that the optimal recovery window after a stroke may not be permanently closed and can reopen under certain conditions.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalNeuroRehabilitation An International Interdisciplinary Journal·DateJan 7, 2016

Vitamin A quells severity of preemie GI disease in mice

Researchers found that vitamin A converts 'angry' immune cells into inflammation suppressors, reducing the severity of necrotizing enterocolitis in mice. This discovery adds to evidence of vitamin A's anti-inflammatory properties and could lead to new treatments for premature infants with severe bowel disease.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·DateDec 21, 2015

A well-preserved skeleton reveals the ecology and evolution of early carnivorous mammals

A nearly complete skeleton of a well-preserved early carnivorous mammal, Galecyon, has shed light on the ecology and evolutionary relationships of hyaenodontids. The fossil, dating back to the Eocene Epoch, suggests that these ancient animals were adaptable ground-dwelling creatures, unlike their tree-climbing or runner relatives.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalJournal of Vertebrate Paleontology·DateDec 14, 2015

How our brains overrule our senses

A new study identifies brain processes in mice that may help explain how weak sensory inputs are interpreted differently in the same brain. Activity in higher-level perception areas of the brain is shaped by lower-level sensory input, adding a cellular layer to our understanding of perception.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalNature Neuroscience·DateDec 7, 2015