A CT scan of a 30-million-year-old fossil indicates that echolocation evolved independently in dolphins and other toothed whales. The discovery suggests that the evolution of echolocation may have occurred multiple times within this lineage.
Researchers found that adaptive cruise control systems can create phantom jams by slowing down too much, even when the vehicle ahead speeds up. The study suggests that designing ACC systems with traffic flow in mind is crucial for alleviating jams and improving traffic efficiency.
A team at Vanderbilt University is developing 'safe harbor' standards of care based on scientific evidence to reduce defensive medicine and its consequences. The project aims to lower healthcare costs, improve quality of care, and decrease patient exposure to radiation.
Research finds increased indicators of despair, including depression and suicidal ideation, among Gen X-ers in their late 30s and early 40s, regardless of demographic group.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University discovered that cancer cells use leader-follower behavior to establish new tumor sites, expending more energy in the process. This finding has significant implications for fighting cancer, particularly in understanding mechanisms of metastasis and developing new therapies.
A Vanderbilt University team found a link between winter rainfall in northeast India and the Pacific Ocean's climate conditions, aiding in predicting dry season rainfall amounts. The discovery uses stalagmite records from Mawmluh Cave to understand past variability in the global climate system.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University have developed a lightweight, low-profile, and inexpensive ankle exoskeleton that can be worn under clothes without restricting motion. The device features an unpowered friction clutch mechanism and a soft shank sleeve, weighing just over one pound and costing less than $100 to fabricate.
A robot-guided video game has been developed to get older adults learning and working together, staving off dementia. The game's goal is to encourage physical movement and social interaction, addressing isolation a key contributor to dementia progression.
A Vanderbilt University team developed an atlas of lipid structures using ion mobility-mass spectrometry, narrowing the possibilities for identifying lipids. The atlas holds key to early diagnosis of many disorders by mapping out lipid shapes.
A new study found a link between Celebrex and heart valve calcification, contradicting previous findings that declared the drug safe. The study analyzed patient records at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and found a 20% increased prevalence of valve disease among those who took Celebrex.
A Vanderbilt University study found that women's hormonal cycles play a critical role in drug addiction and relapse. When fertility-related hormone levels are high, females are more prone to seek rewards and make stronger associations with environmental cues, leading to higher relapse rates.
A Vanderbilt University team developed a nanoparticle to target tumor-infiltrating immune cells and activate the STING pathway, a natural mechanism to mount an immune response against cancer. The breakthrough offers hope for patients who don't respond to checkpoint blockade therapies.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University found that wearable sensors measure the wrong thing, focusing on foot impact rather than muscle contraction forces. They discovered a strong correlation between ground reaction forces and tibial bone loading was false, and only combined data from multiple sensors can estimate bone stress accurately.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University have made significant findings on how the brain processes visual information from both eyes. Contrary to previous Nobel Prize-winning research, they discovered that the brain combines dual signals in milliseconds, not later stages of processing.
A Vanderbilt University team has deciphered the circuitry of the medial frontal cortex, allowing for more efficient diagnoses of mental illnesses. The findings could also guide medications to target specific receptors in the cerebral cortex for better effectiveness.
Researchers found that individuals with schizophrenia have reduced bodily sensation across all emotions and don't differentiate between emotions on their body maps. This affects their ability to identify, recognize, and verbalize emotions or understand others.
Researchers discovered 12 bacteria types consistently varying in abundance by ethnicity, highlighting a baseline for understanding healthy microbiome differences among individuals. The findings hold promise for developing personalized approaches to prevent and treat chronic diseases disproportionately affecting ethnic minorities.
A team of evolutionary biologists reconstructed the genomic and metabolic characteristics of a 400-million-year-old common ancestor of more than 1,000 budding yeast species. This ancestor was metabolically diverse, able to live on a third more food sources than modern counterparts.
New research found that accessing high-status social contacts can have a negative impact on health, particularly in societies with high economic inequality. In the US and China, being connected to higher-status individuals led to more health disruptions, unlike in Taiwan where low inequality led to healthier outcomes.
A Vanderbilt biologist studied cockroaches' defense mechanism against wasp attacks using ultra-slow-motion videography. The 'en garde' position and swift kicks saved 63% of adult cockroaches from being stung, while juveniles were more vulnerable to attack.
Research by Suzana Herculano-Houzel reveals that brain neurons play a crucial role in determining human lifespan and sexual maturity. The study found that the number of neurons in the cerebral cortex predicts around 75% of longevity variation across species, contradicting previous assumptions about human uniqueness.
Guilherme Gualda and his students studied magma storage-depth evolution in the Taupo Volcanic Zone. They found that magma moved closer to the surface with each successive eruption, likely preventing supereruptions. The dynamic nature of the crust allowed for frequent, smaller eruptions to occur, preventing a massive eruption.
Researchers from Vanderbilt University have developed atomically thin membranes with nanoscale holes, showcasing improved permeance and faster diffusion rates compared to traditional commercial membranes. This breakthrough has the potential to transform small molecule separation, fine chemical purification, and other processes.
A new model of polarization explains how voters strategically vote for parties to empower their preferred party, contributing to increased polarization. The model also highlights the impact of gerrymandering on polarization and suggests policy changes, such as increasing local party coordination, could help address the issue.
Scientists at Vanderbilt University have developed a method to predict the outcomes of various additive combinations used to extract more oil from wells. By using quantum mechanical simulations and experimentation, they found that calcium, magnesium, and sulfates can enhance oil recovery by modifying the surface charge on calcite.
Research suggests that crime is a powerful motivator for migrants to come to the US, despite understanding the risks of the journey. Those who have been victimized by crime multiple times are more likely to migrate.
Researchers have found that ancient Ediacaran fossils, dating back to 570 million years ago, were part of complex ecological communities. These organisms, such as suspension feeders and filter feeders, competed for resources like modern animals.
A recent study suggests that specific immune system peptides could influence brain activity and drug cravings, offering a potential partner in the fight against opioid addiction. The research focuses on targeting these peptides to reduce cravings in human patients.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University created a structure that concentrates light powerfully, nearly indefinitely, using a simple equation. The bowtie-funnel combo amplifies input light in a small region, enabling low-power manipulation of information on computer chips.
Researchers analyzed ancient and modern koala and kangaroo teeth to understand diet changes across millennia. The study found that tooth wear patterns are indicative of dietary habits, not environmental factors.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University have identified a key enzyme that drives neuron death in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and ALS. The enzyme histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) modifies a molecular motor that triggers signaling agents to travel down the axon, killing the neuron.
A Vanderbilt University study reveals that legalizing same-sex marriage has improved healthcare access for gay men, with increased likelihood of having health insurance and a usual source of care. However, no significant improvements were seen in mental health or negative health behaviors.
A new study by Vanderbilt University researchers reveals that urban water conservation policies are closely tied to a city's political leaning, with left-leaning cities adopting stronger water-saving measures. This finding suggests that water conservation may be more politicized than previously thought, and could have important implica...
Vanderbilt University has received a five-year, $8.1-million grant from the National Cancer Institute to study small cell lung cancer, a highly aggressive and incurable tumor. The new center will use a multidisciplinary approach combining experimentation, mathematical modeling, and machine learning to develop new treatment avenues.
Researchers found that construction of the Grand Caillou mound began around 800 years ago and was abandoned 600 years later, likely due to changes in the river channel. The site's architecture suggests a high level of environmental and engineering expertise among its builders.
Vanderbilt University researchers have discovered a way to produce cheap and small carbon nanotubes from air, which are supermaterials stronger than steel and more conductive than copper. This breakthrough could steer the conversation towards using these materials in future technology, rather than just focusing on reducing emissions.
Researchers discovered a genetic signature in Nasonia wasps that suppresses Wolbachia bacteria transmission to eggs, giving the wasp an evolutionary benefit. This finding provides insight into how animals may evolve to control their transmitted bacteria, highlighting unique defense strategies across species.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University have developed an ultrasound helmet that can create real-time images of the brain during surgery, allowing for more precise control over software and robotics using only thoughts. The technology uses machine learning to account for distortion and integrate electroencephalogram (EEG) technology to pr...
A Vanderbilt team has deciphered the key to infecting entire mosquito populations with virus-killing Wolbachia bacteria. By hijacking insect reproductive systems, Wolbachia spreads rapidly, reducing risk of dengue and Zika virus transmission.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University have characterized a complex receptor type that activates hunger suppression when activated. The discovery provides a crucial milestone in developing small-molecule therapeutics to treat obesity.
A new themed issue of the Royal Society journal explores human evolution through an interdisciplinary lens, combining biological, anthropological and cultural perspectives. Researchers found that English speakers' regional dialects influenced Sranan creole's development, shedding light on events in human history with few other traces.
Vanderbilt University and Lundbeck are collaborating on a novel approach to treating schizophrenia. The Vanderbilt compounds, developed with support from the National Institute of Mental Health, have shown antipsychotic-like effects and improved cognitive performance in animal models.
Astronomers have developed a novel method to measure the masses of solitary stars with an accuracy of 10-25 percent. This technique combines light fluctuations and parallax data to infer surface gravity and diameter, providing critical information for understanding star formation, evolution, and planetary systems.
Researchers developed a hyperlens crystal made from isotopically purified boron, increasing its potential imaging capability by a factor of ten. The new material can capture images of objects as small as 30 nanometers in size, enabling direct observation of cellular processes.
A new study by Vanderbilt University researchers found that dogs have significantly more cortical neurons than cats, indicating a higher level of intelligence. Dogs possess about 530 million neurons, while cats have around 250 million, suggesting that dogs are brainier than cats.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University found that our brains experience momentary unconscious gaps in visual perception when shifting attention. The study, published in Cerebral Cortex, discovered a brain mechanism underlying the phenomenon of mind's eye blink.
A new study reveals that visual intelligence is a separate entity from general intelligence (IQ), with considerable individual differences among people. Researchers developed a novel test to measure visual object recognition and found that performance on this task was not predictive of IQ.
Physicists propose that knots in flexible strands of energy called flux tubes link elementary particles, explaining the three-dimensional nature of the universe. The theory provides a natural power source for cosmic inflation, solving two key problems in cosmology.
The center aims to identify unique talents in individuals on the spectrum and develop novel employment arrangements to enhance their quality of life. With research partners and community organizations, VCAI seeks to unlock the workforce potential of autistic individuals.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University have discovered that wound healing is triggered by a complex series of calcium signals in cells. The team found that cells use both gap junctions and protein signaling to respond to injury, allowing them to differentiate between different types of wounds.