by Ken Kingery, Duke University Credit: Duke University Researchers at Duke University have captured days-long time-lapse videos of young neural cells moving and growing within a novel 3D synthetic biocompatible structure. By literally watching how the cells respond to natural biochemical signals embedded within the material, biomedical engineers hope to develop biogels that can repair...
by Public Library of Science Researchers probe how people control unwanted thoughts. Credit: geralt, Pixabay (CC0, creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) When trying to avoid an unwanted thought, people often reactively reject and replace the thought after it occurs. But proactively avoiding an association in the first place can be much more efficient, and help prevent the repetitive looping of unwanted...
by Regenstrief Institute Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain In one of the first investigations of the effectiveness of a second mRNA booster against COVID-19 Omicron variants, a study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that a second booster shot significantly improved effectiveness against widespread variants Omicron BA.1 and BA.2/BA.2.12.1. With...
by Alan Toth, Stanford University Researchers trained mice in a tricky maneuver to grab a food pellet (upper left) then used a technique called TRAP to label neurons in the mouse motor cortex that were active in learning the new skill (purple). They showed that these neurons develop new synaptic inputs during learning (Box: upper...
by Katy Swordfisk, Portland State University Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A new study by Portland State University’s Robert Strongin doctoral student Kaelas Munger provides insight into the potential risks of vaping cannabinoid acetates. They found that the toxic gas known as ketene is released when cannabinoid acetates are heated under vaping conditions. Ketene was found...
by American Physiological Society High-resolution model of six insulin molecules assembled in a hexamer. Credit: Isaac Yonemoto/Wikipedia Physiologists at the Medical College of Wisconsin have identified the enzyme thioredoxin reductase as playing a key role in protecting beta cells from oxidative stress and in the regulation of insulin secretion. Researchers also show in this study that...
by Public Library of Science Moderate drinking is associated with brain iron accumulation. Credit: Mischa Hafferty (CC-BY 4.0, creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Consumption of seven or more units of alcohol per week is associated with higher iron levels in the brain, according to a study of almost 21,000 people publishing July 14 in the open access journal PLOS Medicine. Iron accumulation...
by Graciela Gutierrez, Baylor College of Medicine Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine has shed new light on the genetic regulation of brain tumor behavior. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study reveals that, contrary to what is expected, gene expression regulator Sox9,...
Summer is a great time to enjoy the outdoors with your dog, but when the temperatures spike or the fireworks come out, it’s time to make sure your furry best friend is having just as good a time as you are. When a heat wave rolls in, try to only take your dog for walks in the...
by Jade Boyd, Rice University Researchers from Rice University, Duke University, Brown University and Baylor College of Medicine developed a magnetic technology to wirelessly control neural circuits in fruit flies. They used genetic engineering to express heat-sensitive ion channels in neurons that control the behavior and iron nanoparticles to activate the channels. When researchers activated a...
