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Study finds evidence that genes influence empathy

New research has found empathy may have a genetic component that also influences personality, cognition, and psychiatric conditions. Further, although not a novel finding, researchers noted women generally performed better on a test used to gauge empathy than their male counterparts.

9 Jun 2017

Salk researchers analyze how neurons in the brain respond to natural scenes

If you think self-driving cars can't get here soon enough, you're not alone. But programming computers to recognize objects is very technically challenging, especially since scientists don't fully understand how our own brains do it.

9 Jun 2017

Smarter algorithms could lead to greater understanding of the brain's true complexity

The human brain naturally makes its best guess when making a decision, and studying those guesses can be very revealing about the brain's inner workings.

9 Jun 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

IBS researchers devise nanochannels for iodide transport in cell membranes

Exchange of iodide (iodine ions) between bloodstream and cells is crucial for the health of several organs and its malfunctioning is linked to goiter, hypo- and hyperthyroidism, breast cancer, and gastric cancer.

8 Jun 2017

More-is-better approach appears to improve vaccine protection from HIV-like virus in monkeys

Building on insights from an HIV vaccine regimen in humans that had partial success during a phase 3 clinical trial in Thailand, a Duke-led research team used a more-is-better approach in monkeys that appeared to improve vaccine protection from an HIV-like virus.

8 Jun 2017

Can liver damage caused by a low protein diet be repaired?

Proteins are an important component of our diet and help to build muscles; they take part in the structure of hormones and they are vital to the whole body’s metabolism. The most important consequence is that the liver loses its capacity to produce proteins (such as albumin) and to metabolise (inactivate or activate in some cases) medicaments for instance.

8 Jun 2017

Researchers explore sea urchin protein to understand self-assembly of skeletal structures

Calcium carbonate, or CaCO3, comprises more than 4% of the earth's crust. Its most common natural forms are chalk, limestone, and marble, produced by the sedimentation of the shells of small fossilized snails, shellfish, and coral over millions of years.

8 Jun 2017

SLU scientist discovers cause and potential solution for cancer-related bone pain

In a paper published in the journal Pain, Saint Louis University researcher Daniela Salvemini, Ph.D., reports discovering a key molecular pathway that drives cancer-related bone pain while providing a potential solution with a drug that already is on the market.

8 Jun 2017

Salk scientist uses mathematical framework to better understand how cell types divide work

Despite advances in neuroscience, the brain is still very much a black box--no one even knows how many different types of neurons exist.

7 Jun 2017

UM SOM scientists identify mutated gene that may be key player in heart disease

Heart disease kills more than 600,000 Americans every year, which translates to more than one in every four deaths. Although lifestyle choices contribute to the disease, genetics play a major role.

7 Jun 2017

Researchers unravel mystery of how human eyes compute direction of moving light

The mystery of how human eyes compute the direction of moving light has been made clearer by scientists at The University of Queensland.

7 Jun 2017

Researchers develop new material that scrubs iodine from water

Researchers at Dartmouth College have developed a new material that scrubs iodine from water for the first time. The breakthrough could hold the key to cleaning radioactive waste in nuclear reactors and after nuclear accidents like the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

7 Jun 2017

Study uses prebiotic fiber to improve intestinal bacteria profile of children

A couple of teaspoons of a fiber supplement, taken daily, has produced some exciting results that will help children with overweight or obesity maintain a healthier weight and prevent many diseases caused by obesity.

7 Jun 2017

Gut composition affects whether white or brown bread is healthier, say researchers

Whether or not whole wheat bread is better for you than white bread is not as clear-cut as people generally believe and depends somewhat on an individual’s gut microbiome, say researchers.

7 Jun 2017

Molecular biologists identify enzyme that activates and ‘supercharges’ cellular machinery

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital molecular biologists have identified an enzyme that activates and "supercharges" cellular machinery that controls how cells become specialized cells in the body.

7 Jun 2017

Framing the choice as sequence of events can increase patience, prompt future thinking

When faced with a tempting choice, it can be hard to stop and think through the potential consequences, but new research suggests that framing the choice as a sequence of events can help us exercise patience by prompting us to imagine the future.

7 Jun 2017

Focus on single sex threatens to limit impact of research findings, says Tulane endocrinologist

Over the last decade, many drugs that have been pulled from the market due to toxicity were withdrawn because they affected women more than men.

7 Jun 2017

Researchers show how neurons use crowdsourcing in decision-making process

How do we make decisions? Or rather, how do our neurons make decisions for us? Do individual neurons have a strong say or is the voice in the neural collective? One way to think about this question is to ask how many of my neurons you would have to observe to read my mind.

7 Jun 2017

New protocol offers faster and more effective way to obtain astrocytes from stem cells

Neurons have long enjoyed the spotlight in neuroscience--and for good reason: they are incredibly important cellular actors. But, increasingly, star-shaped support cells called astrocytes are being seen as more than bit players in the brain's rich pageant.

6 Jun 2017

Life Science News

Study finds evidence that genes influence empathy

Salk researchers analyze how neurons in the brain respond to natural scenes

Smarter algorithms could lead to greater understanding of the brain's true complexity

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

IBS researchers devise nanochannels for iodide transport in cell membranes

More-is-better approach appears to improve vaccine protection from HIV-like virus in monkeys

Can liver damage caused by a low protein diet be repaired?

Researchers explore sea urchin protein to understand self-assembly of skeletal structures

SLU scientist discovers cause and potential solution for cancer-related bone pain

Salk scientist uses mathematical framework to better understand how cell types divide work

UM SOM scientists identify mutated gene that may be key player in heart disease

Researchers unravel mystery of how human eyes compute direction of moving light

Researchers develop new material that scrubs iodine from water

Study uses prebiotic fiber to improve intestinal bacteria profile of children

Gut composition affects whether white or brown bread is healthier, say researchers

Molecular biologists identify enzyme that activates and ‘supercharges’ cellular machinery

Framing the choice as sequence of events can increase patience, prompt future thinking

Focus on single sex threatens to limit impact of research findings, says Tulane endocrinologist

Researchers show how neurons use crowdsourcing in decision-making process

New protocol offers faster and more effective way to obtain astrocytes from stem cells

Innovations in baculovirus–insect cell expression systems

Compound Management and its Crucial Role in Early Pharmaceutical Research

Natural products: the next frontier in drug discovery

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