News
Separate neurons for content and context enable flexible human memory
The human brain must be able to link memory content to the circumstances in which it occurs. Researchers in Bonn have now discovered how the human brain uses two different groups of neurons to store content and context separately. These nerve cell groups work together in a coordinated manner to form memories, rather than mixing signals in the activity of individual cells.
Jellyfish sleep like humans — even though they don’t have brains
Neither jellyfish nor sea anemones have brains. But these animals sleep in ways strikingly similar to humans, according to this study. The findings bolster a theory that sleep evolved, at least in part, to protect the DNA in individual nerve cells, helping to repair damage that builds up while animals are awake.
Have scientists found Leonardo da Vinci’s DNA?
In April 2024, microbial geneticist Norberto Gonzalez-Juarbe stood over an enigmatic drawing in a private New York City collection. Gently, he rubbed its centuries-old surface, front and back, with a swab like those used in COVID-19 testing. “It’s not every day,” Gonzalez-Juarbe recalls with a laugh, “that one gets to touch a Leonardo.”
Dried Blood Spot Testing Shows Early Promise for Alzheimer’s Biomarker
Researchers report that dried blood spots can reliably measure p-tau217 and other Alzheimer’s biomarkers in a controlled research setting
AI Cancer Diagnostics Struggle with Equity, Study Finds
Accuracy gaps in pathology AI affecting nearly 30% of diagnostic tasks highlight risks for clinical decision-making and patient outcomes, according to new research.
Researchers achieve the first minimally invasive coronary artery bypass
The team successfully performed a coronary artery bypass — a normally open-heart surgery — without cutting the chest wall. The team employed a novel intervention to prevent the blockage of a vital coronary artery, which is a very rare but often lethal complication following a heart-valve replacement. The results suggest that, in the future, a less traumatic alternative to open-heart surgery could become widely available for those at risk of coronary artery obstruction.
Injectable breast ‘implant’ offers alternative to traditional surgeries
“By promoting blood vessel growth and tissue remodeling while keeping inflammation low and reducing capsular contracture, the injectable acellular matrix could make breast reconstruction safer, less invasive and more accessible, thereby improving long-term comfort and cosmetic outcomes for patients,”
Strategies labs can use to minimize blood draw volumes
Minimizing blood draw volumes for patients is critical because repeated phlebotomy can quickly accumulate, leading to significant blood loss over the course of a hospital stay. This loss contributes to hospital-acquired anemia or iatrogenic anemia. Anemia, both at admission and at discharge, is linked with increased complications associated with mortality and readmission rates. It is for these reasons that projects minimizing phlebotomy blood loss can fall into larger hospital quality projects. By optimizing blood draw volumes laboratorians can play a pivotal role in supporting patient safety and quality care initiatives.
Perceived Social Support Is Linked to Better Mental Health and Higher Performance
Perceived social support describes the belief that help, guidance, or encouragement would be available if needed—even when a person is not actively receiving support in the moment. This concept differs from received support, which reflects assistance already provided. A large-scale analysis published in Psychological Bulletin examined how perceived social support relates to outcomes across multiple areas of life, including mental health, physical health, risk-taking behaviors, educational functioning, and work performance. Drawing on data from more than 894,000 participants, the research found consistent links between perceived social support and indicators of human thriving, with especially strong associations in mental health and work performance.
Cornell-developed nanoparticles improve cancer immunotherapy effectiveness
A class of ultrasmall fluorescent core-shell silica nanoparticles developed at Cornell is showing an unexpected ability to rally the immune system against melanoma and dramatically improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy, according to a new study led by Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell Engineering researchers.
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