Because figuring out what is new and what is familiar in what we see is such a critically important ability for prioritizing our attention, neuroscientists have spent decades trying to figure out how our brains are typically so good at it. Along the way they’ve made key observations that seem outright contradictory, but a new study shows that the mystifying measures are really two sides of the same coin, paving the way for a long-sought understanding of “visual recognition memory” (VRM). VRM is the ability to quickly recognize the familiar things in scenes, which can then be de-prioritized so that we can focus on the new things that might be more important ...

The Buck Institute for Research on Aging and Phenome Health are joining forces in the quest to understand the biology of aging. Phenome Health, a Seattle-based nonprofit research organization led by CEO Lee Hood, MD, PhD, uses a data-driven approach to health and disease that integrates diverse types of biological big data.  The new Center for Phenomic Health at the Buck will be co-led by Dr. Hood, who joins the Buck as Chief Innovation Officer and Distinguished Professor, and Eric Verdin, MD, Buck President ...

A groundbreaking development in biomedical engineering has led to the creation of a human stomach micro-physiological system (hsMPS), representing a significant leap forward in understanding and treating various gastrointestinal diseases, including stomach cancer. The research team, led by Professor Tae-Eun Park from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UNIST and Professor Seong-Ho Kong from Seoul National University Hospital, has successfully developed a biomimetic chip that combines organoid and organ-on-a-chip technologies to simulate the complex defense mechanisms of the human gastric mucosa. Organoids, which mimic human organs using stem cells, have ...

The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory announced the establishment of its Center for AI Security Research, or CAISER, to address threats already present as governments and industries around the world adopt artificial intelligence and take advantage of the benefits it promises in data processing, operational efficiencies and decision-making. In partnership with federal agencies such as the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Information Directorate and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate ...

Cambridge, Mass. — A newly discovered nearby supernova whose star ejected up to a full solar mass of material in the year prior to its explosion is challenging the standard theory of stellar evolution. The new observations are giving astronomers insight into what happens in the final year prior to a star’s death and explosion.   SN 2023ixf is a new Type II supernova discovered in May 2023 by amateur astronomer Kōichi Itagaki of Yamagata, Japan shortly after its progenitor, or origin star, ...

DALLAS, September 27, 2023 — The American Heart Association and American Medical Association (AMA) nationally recognized 1,709 health care organizations (HCOs) — 400 more than in 2022 — for their efforts to prioritize control of their patients’ blood pressure (BP), a leading preventable risk factor for heart disease, stroke and premature death. According to the 2022 American Heart Association Statistical Update, nearly half of U.S. adults — 121.5 million ...

HOUSTON – (Sept. 27, 2023) Small and precise: These are the ideal characteristics for CRISPR systems, the Nobel-prize winning technology used to edit nucleic acids like RNA and DNA. Rice University scientists have described in detail the three-dimensional structure of one of the smallest known CRISPR-Cas13 systems used to shred or modify RNA and employed their findings to further engineer the tool to improve its precision. According to a study published in Nature Communications, the molecule works differently than other proteins in the same family. “There are different types of CRISPR systems, and the one ...

Plastic particles less than 5 mm in size are called “microplastics.” These tiny bits of plastic are often found in industrial effluents, or form from the degradation of bulkier plastic waste. Research shows that large amounts of microplastics are ingested or inhaled by humans and animals alike and have been detected in multiple organs such as lung, heart, blood, placenta, and feces. Ten million tons of these plastic bits end up in the ocean, released with the ocean spray, and find their way into the atmosphere. This implies that microplastics may have become an essential component of clouds, ...

ARLINGTON, Va., September 27, 2023 — The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) today announced the three winning research proposals for the 2022 ASTRO-Myovant Sciences (now known as Sumitomo Pharma)-Pfizer Alliance New Combination (Relugolix-Radiation) Therapy Challenge. The Challenge aims to identify research that addresses ways prostate cancer treatments can be improved with the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist relugolix in patients who received radiation therapy. The Challenge invited researchers to propose the study of relugolix in different scenarios: ...

Recent advancements in neuroscience have unveiled new insights into the neural processes responsible for self-referential cognition. This research has brought particular attention to a critical neural network known as the Default Mode Network (DMN), comprising brain regions such as the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), posterior cingulate cortex, temporoparietal junction (TPJ), and both lateral and medial temporal lobes. Central to self-related processing, is the information associated with one’s ...

HOUSTON – (Sept. 27, 2023) – Rice University researchers tested the safety and feasibility of gene delivery to multiple brain regions using a noninvasive, ultrasound-based technique in rodents, and their findings suggest that the efficiency of gene delivery improves within each targeted site when more sites are opened. Shirin Nouraein, a doctoral student working in the lab of Rice bioengineer Jerzy Szablowski, is the lead author on the study recently published in the journal Gene Therapy. The paper, “Acoustically Targeted Noninvasive Gene Therapy in Large Brain Volumes,” ...

Biogas is usually produced by anaerobic digestion of organic waste such as animal manures and straw wastes, which is a typical green renewable energy and can be used as a fuel for power generation and heat production. China has owned large scale of biogas production, with an annual output of about 15 billion m3 biogas, and the biogas development and utilization provide a new choice for coping with the energy crisis. Factually, biogas contains about 60% CH4 and about ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Golden Goose Award, which celebrates federally funded research that sounds silly, but ultimately benefits society, has selected five researchers across the fields of biology, agriculture and genomics for their unexpected breakthroughs as 2023 awardees. On September 27, 2023, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific society, will co-host the 12th annual Golden Goose Award ceremony with the Association of American Universities, a founding member of the Golden Goose Award, at the Library ...

Two UC Santa Cruz researchers were honored on September 27 at the Library of Congress for the invention of nanopore sequencing, which became a new and revolutionary method to read DNA and RNA. David Deamer and Mark Akeson, both emeritus professors of biomolecular engineering at the Baskin School of Engineering, received the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s (AAAS) Golden Goose Award for the invention. Their colleague and friend Daniel Branton, a Havard biologist and co-inventor of the technology, was also honored.  The Golden Goose award is given to scientists whose federally-funded research ...

Research Highlights: In a new study, etripamil, a rapid- and short-acting investigational medication formulated to be delivered via nasal spray, restored a normal heart rhythm in less than 30 minutes in most users with intermittent rapid heartbeats, sparing them a trip to the emergency room to receive intravenous medication. Participants were able to detect when they were experiencing tachycardia (heart rate over 100 beats/minute) and use the medication appropriately and safely. The self-administered treatment may help the approximately 1 in 300 adults in the U.S. ...

Patterns of chemical interactions are thought to create patterns in nature such as stripes and spots. This new study shows that the mathematical basis of these patterns also governs how sperm tail moves. The findings, published today in Nature Communications, reveal that flagella movement of, for example, sperm tails and cilia, follow the same template for pattern formation that was discovered by the famous mathematician Alan Turing.  Flagellar undulations make stripe patterns in space-time, generating waves that travel along the tail to drive the sperm and microbes forward. Alan Turing is most well-known for helping ...

In a new study, the conventional understanding of soil liquefaction is being challenged, significantly reshaping our comprehension of earthquake-related soil deformation. Traditionally, soil liquefaction has been linked to undrained conditions near earthquake epicenters, but this research reveals that liquefaction can take place under drained conditions, even at considerably lower seismic-energy density levels. This discovery sheds new light on far-field liquefaction events that have long perplexed scientists. The study highlights how seismic shaking, even in drained conditions, triggers interstitial fluid flow within the soil, leading ...

A Koine Greek inscription paraphrasing Psalms 86 was discovered by Hebrew University archaeologists at the site of Hyrcania Fortress in the Judean Desert. Adorned with a cross, the Byzantine-era inscription was likely made by a knowledgeable monk and holds significance as a well-known prayer in the Masoretic text and Christian liturgy. Analysis of the script's style suggests a dating no later than the first half of the 6th century CE, the height of the Byzantine era, with minor grammatical errors revealing the scribe’s ...

The global citrus export industry based in South Africa is a surprising outlier in many ways, not least for its vigorous growth. Somehow, the diverse industry has emerged as the second biggest in the world after Spain. Researchers Ms Shingie Chisoro and Prof Simon Roberts unpack the key factors driving this exceptional success in a study published in The European Journal of Development Research. Chisoro is a PhD candidate and Roberts the Lead Researcher at the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED), within the College of Business & Economics at the University of Johannesburg. Resilient ...

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Sept 27, 2023)—Michael Jackson may have sung “it don’t matter if you’re black or white,” but when it comes to prescribing hormone therapy, it appears that race may definitely matter. That is according to a new study that found even though Black patients have more menopause symptoms, they receive less treatment. Study results will be presented during the 2023 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society in Philadelphia September 27-30. Women experience menopause differently with no two women having the exact same symptoms. Prior research has confirmed that ...

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Sept 27, 2023)—Unwanted weight gain is a common problem associated with the menopause transition. Not only does it harm a woman’s self-esteem, but it is also associated with the development of heart disease, cancer, and declines in cognition and mental health. Tips for managing weight during midlife will be provided as part of a presentation at the 2023 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society in Philadelphia September 27-30. Weight gain in midlife women is the result of changes related to aging, menopause, and lifestyle. As women age, they are likely to expend less energy because of a reduction in physical activity and a decrease in lean mass. As a double whammy, ...

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Sept 27, 2023)—It seems counter-intuitive for women to experience hot flashes in cold temperatures but, thanks to declining estrogen levels that cause narrowing of the thermoneutral zone, changes in body core temperature can induce sweating responses in any weather. According to a new study, brown adipose tissue activity may be a key reason why. Study results will be presented during the 2023 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society in Philadelphia, September 27-30. “How can I be hot and cold at the same time?” It’s a common question asked by perimenopausal ...

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Sept 27, 2023)—Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the gold standard for assessing bone mass and evaluating fracture risk. But new technologies shed light on knowledge gaps not filled by DXA alone and sometimes suggest the need for additional procedures to accurately assess bone health. A presentation at the 2023 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society in Philadelphia September 27-30 will focus on the evolution of technology to better diagnose bone fragility. The discussion of bone health is especially relevant for postmenopausal women who are more vulnerable to osteoporosis and osteopenia because of declining estrogen levels that occur ...

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Sept 27, 2023)—As if hot flashes alone weren’t bad enough for women going through the menopause transition, a new study suggests that, especially when they occur during sleep, hot flashes may be early indicators of a woman’s increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). And, the more hot flashes, the greater the disease risk. Study results will be presented during the 2023 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society in Philadelphia September 27-30. Women comprise two-thirds of individuals with AD, and there are ...

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Sept 27, 2023)—Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been associated with a number of adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Little is known, however, regarding its impact on sexual functioning among midlife women. A new study is shedding light on the topic, suggesting that greater PTSD symptoms lead to worse sexual functioning. Study results will be presented during the 2023 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society in Philadelphia, September 27-30. PTSD is more common among women than many ...