Research on teaching, learning, and how education works. Covers health-tech education, mentorship and fellowships, NIH training grants, and digital learning.
Researchers found that Parkinson's patients who developed dementia had a significantly higher risk of death, regardless of hallucination or depression status. The study also revealed that incident dementia and disease severity were independently associated with an increased risk of mortality.
A study presented at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting found that cortical spreading depression, a brain event linked to migraines, affects specific genes. Researchers identified two peptides influencing blood vessel activity and pain control, which may be related to menstrual migraine attacks.
A new study suggests that tamoxifen and estrogen may have comparable effects on the brain, with lower levels of myo-inositol found in both groups. This finding challenges previous assumptions about tamoxifen's impact on cognitive function and presents a promising direction for breast cancer risk reduction.
Curtis Finch, a renowned expert in vocational education, is awarded a Fulbright scholarship to investigate Taiwan's workforce preparation system. His research aims to understand the significance of this system in driving economic growth.
A Northeastern University study reveals a significant decline in average scores of top golfers at the Masters Tournament from the 1930s to 2001, indicating rapid improvement and increased competition. The study also found that Tiger Woods' level of dominance is comparable to Jack Nicklaus' record-breaking performance in 1965.
Dr. Doyle, a prominent chemist, has received the ACS George C. Pimentel Award for his contributions to chemical education. His most notable contribution is a study of 136 schools from 1986-2000 that found only 25% of published papers had student authors.
A recent study suggests that statins may inhibit calcium growth on aortic valves in elderly people, potentially reducing the risk of cardiovascular events. Researchers found that those taking statins had a 62% lower median rate of calcium accumulation compared to non-statins group.
A study shows that black teen girls who rarely talked to their parents about sex and STD prevention were less likely to report condom use. Parents can help motivate their daughters to discuss safe sex techniques with partners, according to researchers.
A new study by Dr. Ruey-Kang R. Chang and colleagues found that regionalizing pediatric cardiac surgeries at high-volume hospitals can decrease surgical mortality by avoiding 83 avoidable deaths among low-and medium-volume hospitals. The study suggests a promising approach to improving outcomes for children with heart disease.
The Merck/AAAS Undergraduate Science Research Program awards grants of $20,000 per year for up to three years to primarily undergraduate institutions. The program aims to enhance undergraduate education through research experiences and encourage students to pursue graduate education in biology and chemistry.
The University of Michigan Medical School is addressing mounting clinical and economic pressures through its Innovations in Medical Education program. The four-part mission focuses on improving teaching in medical education, with research documenting increased productivity in publication and teaching effectiveness.
The center aims to increase opportunities for underrepresented minority researchers, educators, and clinicians in the biomedical research community. It also seeks to create a nationally recognized model for addressing racial and ethnic health disparities through campus and community partnerships.
A study by Judith Langer found that teachers' skills in classroom instruction, such as skill instruction and connections, contribute to higher literacy achievement levels. Effective teaching practices include using multiple approaches, connecting texts to life, and creating an engaging learning environment.
A study found that physician interventions can significantly decrease alcohol use and related health issues in at-risk patients. The intervention program, Project TrEAT, resulted in a 15-20% reduction in patient health care utilization and overall costs.
The new center will focus on developing solutions to the two major threats to honeybees, including parasitic mites and Africanized honeybees. It aims to create mite-resistant stocks of honeybees using molecular technologies and traditional breeding methods.
A comprehensive survey of brain death diagnosis in adults worldwide reveals significant variations in procedures, including differences in required physicians, observation time, and confirmatory tests. These discrepancies may be due to collective decisions by task forces or cultural attitudes, highlighting the need for standardization.
The US Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) has awarded $1 million grants to four Russian universities to improve their basic scientific research capabilities. The grant recipients include Moscow State Engineering Physics Institute, Perm State University, St. Petersburg State University, and Voronezh State University.
A new study found that eliminating gatekeepers in health maintenance organizations (HMOs) does not necessarily increase costs. In contrast to traditional HMOs, point-of-service plans with open physician panels showed comparable spending on medical care expenditures, including physician services, hospital services, and prescription drugs.
A recent study found that 10 million Americans meet criteria for serious mental illness, with 62.8% receiving no stable treatment from a professional. Psychological barriers such as lack of confidence in treatment and stigma play a significant role in preventing individuals from seeking help.
The Gulf Coast Consortia is a new research and education initiative funded by a $3.5 million grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation. The consortium brings together six public and private institutions to address the national shortage of researchers and promote inter-institutional collaboration.
The University of Michigan School of Education has received a $175,000 grant from the Goldman Sachs Foundation to evaluate and support programs promoting educational excellence globally. The program focuses on developing academic abilities and entrepreneurial talents in underrepresented youth.
A recent study found that middle school and high school students are more likely to quit smoking when faced with the prospect of fines or license loss. Students in high-enforcement areas were also more aware of penalties and had lower smoking rates, ranging from 21-26.6% compared to low-enforcement areas.
The University of Houston's Texas Learning and Computation Center has received a $3.5 million EPA grant to develop a new computer model predicting ozone concentrations in the region's air. Researchers will examine factors such as population growth, emissions, and weather data to improve the model's accuracy.
A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found significant gender-related differences in the characteristics of male and female gamblers who called a helpline. Female gamblers were more likely to report non-strategic, less interpersonal forms of gambling and receiving mental health treatment.
A new study published in Health Services Research suggests that even significant reductions in premiums may not encourage low-wage workers to purchase health insurance. The researchers found that the wage level of employees plays a crucial role in determining whether companies offer health benefits.
The von Liebig Center will provide mentorship and commercialization services to UCSD inventors, awarding pre-seed funds to assess new discovery potential. The center will also support academic courses preparing engineering students for entrepreneurial environments.
A nationwide survey of over 800 adults found that patients who use both traditional and CAM therapies view their healthcare providers as part of a larger team. More than half of respondents believed CAM therapies were more helpful for certain conditions, but had equal trust in physicians as practitioners.
A study of 2170 Ontario respondents found that healthcare expenditures were related more to self-reported health status than income. The results suggest that the utilization of physicians' services in Ontario is based on need rather than income. The findings contradict common assumptions about healthcare financing.
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute is awarding $1 million each to 20 researchers who plan to revolutionize undergraduate science education. The selected HHMI Professors will receive grants to apply their creativity and enthusiasm to teaching, with a focus on fostering interdisciplinary research teams and mentorship.
The Center for Wireless Communications has been awarded $1.5 million in California matching funds to complement corporate funding for five separate research projects. The grants will support Ph.D. students performing wireless research on key issues such as achieving higher data rates and lowering wireless access costs.
The Annals series examines complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), classifying hundreds of therapies into a new taxonomy. CAM modalities like herbs, acupuncture, and homeopathy are studied, as well as the social context and effectiveness of these practices.
A new study found that patients with public health insurance are more likely to die from a heart attack than those with private insurance, highlighting an inequity in medical care delivery. The study also suggests that patients with inferior insurance status may have more advanced disease and experience poorer outcomes.
A panel of seven renowned experts, including Henry Black and Jay Cohn, reviewed RESPeRATE's progress and results from six clinical studies. The board expressed excitement about the potential for breathing exercises to modify the cardiovascular system and further evidence of RESPeRATE's effectiveness as a non-drug option to lower high b...
A study found that adults with persistent developmental stuttering (PDS) have significantly larger right and left temporal lobes, and more irregularities in brain shape compared to controls. Sex and writing hand preference were also linked to anatomic features.
Case Western Reserve University has been awarded a $750,000 grant from the Ohio Eminent Scholars Program to support high-energy density fuel cell research. The university will also establish the Case Institute for Fuel Cells, where the appointed professor will lead technology development and education.
A new report by the University of California, San Francisco, reveals that California's tobacco control program is 'stalled and adrift,' with a significant lack of funding. Despite initial optimism under Governor Gray Davis, the program has been slow to implement aggressive measures, leading to thousands of unnecessary deaths from smoking.
Researchers developed a computer program that provides bite-sized information on the most important findings, leading to a 34% decrease in antibiotic prescriptions for middle ear infections. The system helps doctors stay current with the latest research without overwhelming them.
A recent study found that problem drinkers with HIV are more likely to take their medications off schedule, highlighting the importance of screening for alcohol problems among persons with HIV infection. Nearly half of problem drinkers reported taking medication off schedule during the previous week.
A study by University of Pennsylvania researchers found that the human myelocytomatosis (MYC) gene can induce spontaneous mutations in other genes, such as Nras or Kras2, leading to more tumor growth even after the MYC gene is shut off. This has implications for the search for therapeutics in cases of MYC-induced breast cancer.
Researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center present findings on Gulf War illnesses, finding similarities to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Cognitive-behavioral therapy improves treatment success rates by 48 percent for symptoms of both conditions.
A study of over 4,500 teens found that affiliation with substance-using peers can significantly increase the likelihood of smoking and drinking. Parents also play a role in influencing teen behavior, particularly those who demonstrate high levels of regard and responsiveness to their children.
A new drug, lamotrigine, has been shown to reduce central post-stroke pain in patients by an average of 30 percent. The treatment was found to be effective for patients who could not tolerate amitriptyline due to its side effects.
At Temple University, students are participating in a month-long course to study the biology of coral reefs, with a field trip to Belize's Great Barrier Reef. Researchers from Temple and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute have also discovered early evidence of root crop cultivation in the Americas, dating back nearly 7,000 years.
A new study reveals that Ph.D. training often fails to prepare students for careers outside of academia, despite their desire to do so. Key findings include a lack of understanding about non-academic career options and inadequate preparation for teaching and service activities.
The new center, led by Dr. Theodor Krauthammer, will focus on research and development of methods to ensure building safety under terrorist bomb threats. Penn State will collaborate with other institutions to provide training programs for engineers, architects, and others on using the new technology.
The University of Pittsburgh has been awarded a federal grant to conduct research on racial and ethnic differences in health status among adults. The four-year program aims to address health disparities by involving the minority community at every stage, from data collection to intervention development.
A study of identical twins found a significant association between chronic fatigue syndrome and an increased incidence of fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome. The researchers suggest that physicians should assess CFS patients for other clinical conditions, as these illnesses can compound the condition's high costs.
A one-year study of male veterans found that health-related quality of life declined and psychological distress increased over time for participants with or without psychiatric disorders. Those with psychiatric disorders were the most impaired, experiencing substantial impairments in functioning that persisted over a year.
A new study suggests that discussing advance care directives with patients can enhance the patient-doctor relationship and improve visit satisfaction. More than half of patients who had such a discussion rated their primary care visits as excellent, compared to 34% of those who had not discussed advance care directives.
A study published by the American Academy of Neurology found that diabetes and high blood pressure can lead to cognitive decline in middle-aged people. The research, which examined 10,963 participants aged 47-70, showed a modest but statistically significant association between these conditions and cognitive abilities.
A new program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill aims to eliminate health disparities between blacks and whites. Researchers will focus on prostate cancer, high blood pressure, and sexually transmitted diseases, with a goal of finding ways to reverse the effects of racial disparities.
The researchers designed and made a rotaxane-based nano motor powered by sunlight, which operates according to a four-stroke cycle. The system works continuously without consuming chemical fuels or generating waste.
A study found that concerns about unknown ingredients, inconvenience, and previous side effects are major barriers to flu immunization. Addressing these concerns through outreach efforts and physician-patient interactions can increase vaccination rates in low-income populations.
A new study published in Neurology found that selegiline, a drug used to treat Parkinson's disease, does not increase the risk of death for patients taking levodopa. The study compared the death rates of 97 patients with Parkinson's who received selegiline treatment with those of 902 people without the disease.
President Bill Clinton emphasizes the importance of understanding basic scientific concepts, citing climate change, the human genome, and nanotechnology as key areas of research. He also proposes solutions to improve science education, including paying teachers more or bringing in new instructors.
A 15-year study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center found that a social-influences approach to smoking prevention did not reduce smoking rates among youth. Despite rigorous design and implementation, the program failed to make a difference in the long-term smoking behavior of participants.
A team of researchers at Northeastern University has discovered a specific molecular change in the brain that causes people to crave higher dosages of drugs over time. The finding could lead to more effective treatments for heroin addicts and cancer patients with chronic pain.
Researchers in Japan discovered that avocados contain compounds that can slow down liver damage and improve liver health. The study suggests that avocado extracts may be a promising treatment for viral hepatitis, but further studies are needed to confirm the results.
University of Michigan geologist Peter van Keken uses virtual reality to explore Earth's inner reaches, discovering new patterns and relationships. He aims to advance research into plate tectonics and mantle mixing using this immersive technology.
The Joint Mathematics Meetings bring together researchers and educators to advance mathematical achievement and encourage innovation. The event features over 1300 research papers and high-profile events such as the debut of Who Wants To Be A Mathematician.