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New NIMH grant to support study that uses brain imaging to diagnose suicidal thoughts

To build on a groundbreaking study that used brain imaging to identify individuals with suicidal thoughts, Carnegie Mellon University's Marcel Just and the University of Pittsburgh's David A. Brent have received a five-year, $3.8 million grant from the National Institute for Mental Health.

29 Aug 2018

Studies on fruit flies reveal new findings of how neurons in the brain function

Studies of the song of the fruit flies reveal new findings of how the neurons in the brain function. These results can be used to uncover new knowledge on how brains in general function which in the longer term may have medical significance.

25 Aug 2018

New study tracks how the brain turns simple sensory inputs into meaningful categories

Here's the neuroscience of a neglected banana: whenever you look at its color - green in the store, then yellow, and eventually brown on your countertop - your mind categorizes it as unripe, ripe, and then spoiled.

11 Jul 2018

Listless and lonely in Puerto Rico, some older storm survivors consider suicide

A social worker, Lisel Vargas, recently visited Don Gregorio at his storm-damaged home in the steep hillsides of Humacao, a city on Puerto Rico's eastern coast near where Category 4 Hurricane Maria first made landfall last September.

10 May 2018

Vitamin B6 could help people to recall their dreams

New research from the University of Adelaide has found that taking vitamin B6 could help people to recall their dreams.

27 Apr 2018

Researchers shed light on role of striosomal neurons in reinforcement learning

A pleasant surprise or a nasty shock is likely to be a memorable experience. For instance, if you touch a hot oven, you very quickly learn not to do it again.

17 Apr 2018

Sports beverages not recommended for illness-related dehydration

Hospitals across the nation have been hit by a double whammy: an alarming flu season combined with a shortage of intravenous fluids.

31 Jan 2018

Baby-led weaning approach does not increase choking risk, research finds

New research from Swansea University shows that letting babies feed themselves solid foods from as young as six months does not increase the risk of them choking compared to spoon-feeding them.

7 Dec 2017

Increasing hydroxyurea dose linked to reduction in hospitalization for young sickle cell anemia patients

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators have shown that using the drug hydroxyurea to boost average fetal hemoglobin levels above 20 percent in children and teenagers with sickle cell anemia was associated with at least a two-fold reduction in hospitalization for any reason.

9 Nov 2017

New pencil-like spectrometer holds promise for remote medical diagnostics

Spectral images, which contain more color information than is obtainable with a typical camera, reveal characteristics of tissue and other biological samples that can't be seen by the naked eye.

9 Nov 2017

Two distinct brain regions involve in decision-making process, research shows

Often when we make a decision, we calculate its "expected value," by multiplying the value of something (how much we want or need it) with the probability that we might be able to obtain it, a concept first introduced by 17th-century mathematician Blaise Pascal.

30 Aug 2017

Research shows probiotics can reduce incidence of sepsis in infants

A research team at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health has determined that a special mixture of good bacteria in the body reduced the incidence of sepsis in infants in India by 40 percent at a cost of only $1 per infant.

16 Aug 2017

Penn State researchers find that eating almonds may help improve function of HDL cholesterol

Eating almonds on a regular basis may help boost levels of HDL cholesterol while simultaneously improving the way it removes cholesterol from the body, according to researchers.

11 Aug 2017

Restaurant placemats can encourage children to choose healthier food options

Placemats can be used to encourage children to eat healthier food in restaurants, according to a new study by the University at Buffalo and Independent Health Foundation.

18 Jul 2017

QUT researchers develop golden-orange bananas rich in pro-vitamin A

The decade-long research, led by Distinguished Professor James Dale, involved extensive laboratory tests at QUT as well as field trials in north Queensland.

7 Jul 2017

Researchers develop new system with robot hands that learns how to grasp objects

Researchers at Bielefeld University have developed a grasp system with robot hands that autonomously familiarizes itself with novel objects. The new system works without previously knowing the characteristics of objects, such as pieces of fruit or tools.

8 Jun 2017

University of Utah students develop new, 100% biodegradable feminine maxi pad

Each year, nearly 20 billion sanitary pads, tampons and applicators are dumped into North American landfills every year, and it takes centuries for them to biodegrade inside plastic bags, according to a 2016 Harvard Business School report. Additionally, it requires high amounts of fossil fuel energy to produce the plastic for these products, resulting in a large carbon footprint.

16 May 2017