The impact a specific schoolteacher has on students' math and reading scores – whether bad or good – fades quite fast, according to a new study by researchers at Brigham Young University and the University of Michigan. A recent trend in public education is to measure teacher quality based on how the students fared on standardized tests compared to previous years. If most of Mr. Green's current 5th grade students score at a higher percentile than they did as 4th graders, then Mr. Green gets what's called a high "value-added" rating. In August, The Los Angeles Times shined ...

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—A brain area known to play a critical role in vision is divided into compartments that respond separately to different colors and orientations, Vanderbilt University researchers have discovered. The findings have important implications for furthering our understanding of perception and attention. The research was published Nov. 14, 2010, in Nature Neuroscience. "In vision, objects are defined by both their shape and their surface properties, such as color and brightness. For example, to identify a red apple, your visual system must process both the ...

SAN DIEGO — New research is providing a deeper understanding of how individual actions — such as exercising, sensory stimulation, or drinking — influence brain health and outcomes. This new knowledge could ultimately lead to interventions in age-related cognitive declines, drug abuse, stroke, and brain injury, separate from or in combination with traditional pharmacological approaches. These findings were presented at Neuroscience 2010, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news on brain science and health. Specifically, ...

SAN DIEGO —Two experimental brain-machine technologies — deep brain stimulation coupled with physical therapy and a thought-controlled computer system—may offer new therapies for people with stroke and brain injuries, new human research shows. In addition, an animal study shows a new artificial retina may restore vision better than existing prosthetics. The findings were announced today at Neuroscience 2010, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news on brain science and health. Brain-machine interface is an emerging ...

SAN DIEGO —New animal research has identified factors, such as the stress response and immune system, that may play important roles in depression. Scientists have also found that the regulation of nerve cell signals influences depression in animals, and that new drug combinations may more effectively treat it. The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2010, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news on brain science and health. Depression is a common mental disorder that affects more than 121 million people worldwide, ...

SAN DIEGO —New research released today shows teenagers respond differently to drugs than adults and explores the long-lasting effects of drug use on brain development. One study shows people who start using drugs at a young age have greater cognitive shortfalls, including mental flexibility. Animal studies also suggest adolescents are more susceptible to lower doses of cocaine, are willing to work more for a cocaine "fix" than adults, and are at risk of developing compromised stress responses. The research findings were presented at Neuroscience 2010, the Society for Neuroscience's ...

The landform known as a drumlin, created when the ice advanced during the Ice Age, can also be produced by today's glaciers. This discovery, made by researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has just been published in the scientific journal Geology. Drumlins generally consist of an accumulation of glacial debris – till – and are found in areas that were covered by ice sheet. As the ice advanced, it moved rocks, gravel and sand and created tear-shaped raised ridges running parallel with the movement of the ice. "Until now, scientists have been divided on ...

FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE Fla. ---- A Nova Southeastern University (NSU) researcher has announced a breakthrough discovery to block a protein that can contribute to heart failure. His discovery will appear in an upcoming issue of the prestigious medical journal, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Anastasios Lymperopoulos, Ph.D., an NSU College of Pharmacy assistant professor of pharmacology, has discovered a novel method, using gene therapy, to block the actions of a gene-encoded protein. That protein, known as beta-arrestin 1, causes an increase of aldosterone ...

San Diego - Neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) say brain scans show that a gene nominally linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) leads to increased interference by brain regions associated with mind wandering during mental tasks. Presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, these researchers believe their findings are the first to show, through brain scanning, the differences in brain network relationships between individuals with this particular form of gene and others with a different form. "Our goal ...

Treatment that included early surgical procedures to open blocked arteries resulted in better blood flow to the heart than aggressive medical treatment alone in patients with both diabetes and heart disease, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2010. Previously, researchers in BARI 2D (Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes) found that over five years there were no fewer deaths and heart attacks in people who had medical treatment along with prompt vessel-opening surgery (revascularization) than ...

A less invasive procedure for treating a congenital heart defect in children is a safe alternative to traditional surgery with no five-year difference in risk of death and is associated with a 62 percent reduced risk for neurological events (such as strokes or seizures), according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2010. In a study of 580 children with secundum atrial septal defect (ASD), researchers evaluated the long-term safety and effectiveness of transcatheter closure versus traditional surgery. Transcatheter closure is a ...

Fat cells — liposuctioned from a patient's belly — can safely boost heart function after a heart attack, according to a first-of-its-kind study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2010. "The study suggests that these cells can be safely obtained and infused inside the hearts of patients following an acute heart attack," said Eric (HJ) Duckers, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the small study and head of Molecular Cardiology Laboratory at the Thoraxcenter, Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The treatment reduced the amount ...

Abstract 21829 – Automated remote patient monitoring fails to improve outcomes for heart failure patients A remote monitoring system didn't help heart failure patients live longer or avoid return trips to the hospital, according to a new study. The system required heart failure patients to dial into an automated, interactive voice response system daily to enter their weight and answer questions about heart failure symptoms. Clinicians managing patients' heart failure reviewed the information and called patients back to discuss worrisome reports. The remote monitoring ...

Years of research are the basis for the latest drugs and treatments for cardiovascular disease. This discussion will highlight early and pre-clinical research that may well be the foundation of treatments to come. Join us for an informal Q&A with researchers who are passionate about the details of battling cardiovascular disease. We'll discuss a range of topics, from a possible drug target to regulate HDL cholesterol, to injectable goo that boosts heart function, and heart cell "balls" that take cellular therapy to another dimension. Abstract 21739 —Researchers discover ...

9 a.m. Abstract 18350 – Explanted re-sterilized ICDs are safe, practical for patient use. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) removed for upgrades or infection may be reused safely in other patients. Researchers sent explanted ICDs with 70 percent or more battery life to India, where the devices were carefully cleaned and re-sterilized. They were re-implanted in indigent patients who were at risk of life-threatening arrhythmias but couldn't afford the devices. Thirty-one patients received explanted, re-sterilized ICDs for standard ICD indications. During ...

Systematic education in rural and suburban communities can significantly shorten onset to hospital arrival times for patients with chest pain, according to study findings to be presented Nov. 16 at the 2010 annual American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions in Chicago. Time to treatment is the key determinant of outcome in patients with acute heart attacks, or ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Although the total time to reperfusion (chest pain onset to balloon) is critical, the major focus has been on decreasing door-to-balloon (D2B) times since the ...

Contact: Helene R. White, Ph.D. hewhite@rci.rutgers.edu 732-445-3579 Rutgers University Andrew Littlefield, Ph.D. Candidate akl9af@mail.mizzou.edu 573-884-1485 University of Missouri Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research Impulsive behavior in males increases after periods of heavy drinking New findings indicate that adoelscent males that engage in heavy drinking behavior are more likely to engage in risk-taking behavior Impulsive behavior is well known to be caused by acute ingestion of alcohol New findings show that periods of heavy drinking by ...

Energy drinks are commonly consumed by teens and college students A new study shows that energy drink consumption is strongly associated with increased risks for heavy drinking and alcohol dependence These results call for more scrutiny regarding the possible negative health effects of energy drinks and public education about the risks of consuming energy drinks with alcohol A hallmark of college life is staying up late to study for an exam the following morning, and many students stay awake by consuming an energy drink. Also increasing in popularity is the practice ...

Cognitive and behavioral deficits have been found in children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which is extremely difficult to diagnose New findings indicate that those children, when trained using classical eyeblink conditioning, suffer from deficits in both learning and memory Using eyeblink conditioning could provide a good model for assessing and diagnosing FAS in children Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is an irreversible disorder in children that affects the learning centers of the brain and results in cognitive and behavioral impairment in the child ...

Adolescence is a time of significant maturation, physically and emotionally New findings indicate that adolescents who have a family history of alcohol abuse demonstrated significantly decreased neural activity in the frontal lobe This could present a unique neurobiological vulnerability for adolescents at risk of developing alcohol abuse The period known as adolescence is a significant time of change for the individual experiencing it. Some of the most significant changes that occur are located within the prefrontal cortex in the brain, which is involved in decision ...

Using antibiotics to treat newly diagnosed acute ear infections among children is modestly more effective than no treatment, but comes with a risk of side effects, according to a new study designed to help advise efforts to rewrite treatment guidelines for the common illness. Researchers found no evidence that name-brand antibiotics work any better in general than generic antibiotics and that careful examination of the eardrum by a clinician for signs of infection is critical for accurate diagnosis of acute ear infections. The study is published in the Nov. 17 edition ...

Among the findings of an analysis of previous studies regarding ear infections in children are that results from otoscopic exams (an instrument for examining the interior of the ear) are critical to accurate diagnosis and antibiotics are modestly more effective than no treatment, with most antibiotics demonstrating similar rates of clinical success among children at normal risk, according to an article in the November 17 issue of JAMA. Acute otitis media (AOM; middle ear infection) is the most common childhood infection for which antibiotics are prescribed in the United ...

A common transmissible strain of the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been identified among cystic fibrosis (CF) patients in Canada, suggesting that cross-infection has occurred widely between CF centers in the United Kingdom and Canada, according to a study in the November 17 issue of JAMA. Infection with this strain among Canadian CF patients has been associated with an increased risk of death or lung transplantation. There is variability in the type and timing of outcome among CF patients who are infected with P aeruginosa; some patients experience a rapid decline ...

Treatment of inoperable advanced liver cancer with the agent doxorubicin (routinely used to treat this condition) in addition to the agent sorafenib resulted in greater overall survival and progression-free survival, compared to patients who received treatment with doxorubicin alone, according to a study in the November 17 issue of JAMA. "Hepatocellular [liver] carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common malignancy worldwide, with approximately 600,000 new cases per year. Patients with inoperable or metastatic disease have a median [midpoint] survival of only a few months. ...

Research from a six year study on migrating geese has discovered an interesting outcome – they return to the same spots they were taken to as youngsters. The findings of the study, published online today [November 17] in the journal Molecular Ecology, suggest young light-bellied Brent geese learn their migratory destinations from parents. This means their routes are learned through culture rather than inherited genetically, raising some interesting questions about why this species of goose demonstrates this behaviour. Xavier Harrison, from the Centre for Ecology & ...