System enables people to correct robot mistakes on multi-choice problems MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, CSAIL Getting robots to do things isn’t easy: usually, scientists have to either explicitly program them or get them to understand how humans communicate via language. IMAGE: BY MONITORING BRAIN ACTIVITY, THE SYSTEM CAN DETECT IN REAL TIME IF A PERSON NOTICES...
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Study suggests bias for sons remains among second-generation women of South Asian descent
A preference for male children persists among second-generation mothers of South Asian descent, according to new study that found a skewed ratio of male-to-female babies born to these women in Ontario. A preference for male children persists among second-generation mothers of South Asian descent, according to new study that found a skewed ratio of male-to-female...
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Broken shuttle may interfere with learning in major brain disorders
Unable to carry signals based on sights and sounds to the genes that record memories, a broken shuttle protein may hinder learning in patients with intellectual disability, schizophrenia, and autism. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and other brain imaging technologies allow for the study of differences in brain activity in people diagnosed with schizophrenia. The...
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Research team discovers drug compound that stops cancer cells from spreading
Fighting cancer means killing cancer cells. However, oncologists know that it’s also important to halt the movement of cancer cells before they spread throughout the body. New research, published today in the journal Nature Communications, shows that it may be possible to freeze cancer cells and kill them where they stand. Ryan Gordon, Ph.D., and Raymond Bergan,...
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Study finds a novel and more practical way to measure kidney function
Researchers working on a study to improve kidney function measurements have found a way to provide more accurate readings. Using an injectable biomarker, physicians were able to read the actual working capacity of the kidney in a clinical setting in half the time it used to take. Currently, physicians rely on estimated kidney function (or estimated glomerular filtration rate)...
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Repurposing promising cancer drugs may lead to a new approach to treating tuberculosis
Promising experimental cancer chemotherapy drugs may help knock out another life-threatening disease: tuberculosis (TB). A new study published by scientists at Texas Biomedical ResearchInstitute in San Antonio pinpoints a mechanism in regulating cell death called apoptosis that is a potential new target for helping to control the bacterial infection (Mycobacterium tuberculosis or M.tb) that causes the...
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Starving fungi could save millions of lives each year
Researchers have identified a potentially new approach to treating lethal fungal infections that claim more than 1.6 million lives each year: starving the fungi of key nutrients, preventing their growth and spread. The team from the Westmead Institute for Medical Research found that stopping fungi from producing transporters that carry essential nutrients, like phosphate, starved the fungi. Despite high...
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Researchers report novel method to quickly make therapeutic proteins from human blood
UMBC researchers report novel method to quickly make therapeutic proteins from human blood Personalized medicine has incredible potential, but current approaches are still too expensive and time-consuming to have a big impact. A new paper in Scientific Reports looks at how to extract cellular protein synthesis machinery from human blood, and, by adding recombinant DNA to the extract, to produce therapeutic proteins within...
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New study shows how gut immune cells are kept in control
Every day, the human gut works on a fine-tuned balance that ensures the retention of essential nutrients while preventing infection by potential harmful microbes. Contributing to this surveillance system is a specialized group of immune cells that are held back due to unknown reasons, although they have many characteristics of activated cells. Now, a new...
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Next-gen medical devices: Security, AI, rethinking design for patient experience
Experts discuss where medical devices are headed as the internet of things continues to expand. Medical devices are proliferating throughout the healthcare landscape, especially with the advent of the Internet of Things and the myriad new products that come with it. The medical device arena is undergoing a lot of change, in fact, as new...