Health

The genetic signature of memory

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Despite their common involvement in memory, the human cortex and subcortex display a distinct collection of gene signatures. The work recently published in eNeuro increases our understanding of how the brain creates memories and identifies potential genes for further investigation. While scientists have extensively explored the anatomy and function of memory, its biological basis remains a mystery. … Read more

Machine learning decreases experimental costs of drug combination screening for translational applications

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Combination therapies have become a standard treatment of several complex diseases. High-throughput screening (HTS) makes it possible to profile phenotypic effects of thousands of drug combinations in patient-derived cells and other pre-clinical model systems. However, due to the massive number of potential drug and dose combinations, large-scale multi-dose combinatorial screening requires extensive resources and instrumentation, … Read more

Machine learning can help us understand conversations about death

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Some of the most important, and difficult, conversations in healthcare are the ones that happen amid serious and life-threatening illnesses. Discussions of the treatment options and prognoses in these settings are a delicate balance for doctors and nurses who are dealing with people at their most vulnerable point and may not fully understand what the … Read more

Many pregnancies are shorter as climate change causes more 90-degree days

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A UCLA study suggests that climate change is causing many women to have shorter pregnancies than they would normally, which could pose risks for infant health and child development. According to research published today in Nature Climate Change, birth rates were 5% higher on days when the temperature exceeded 90 degrees Fahrenheit. And, perhaps more concerning, births … Read more

Nanocontainer ships titan-size gene therapies and drugs into cells

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Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine report they have created a tiny, nanosize container that can slip inside cells and deliver protein-based medicines and gene therapies of any size – even hefty ones attached to the gene-editing tool called CRISPR. If their creation – constructed of a biodegradable polymer – passes more laboratory testing, it could … Read more

Different learning strategies used during Pavlovian conditioning

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In Pavlovian conditioning, people form associations between a neutral stimulus (e.g. a bell) and an upcoming unconditioned stimulus (e.g. food). The neutral stimulus later becomes the conditioned stimulus because it elicits the same response as the unconditioned stimulus. People can learn these associations using a value-based or an uncertainty-based strategy. In value-based learning, learning occurs … Read more

Three types of cells help the brain tell day from night

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Bright light at night interrupts the body’s normal day-night cycles, called circadian rhythms, and can trigger insomnia. In fact, circadian rhythms play a major role in health. Disrupted day-night cycles have even been linked to increased incidence of diseases like cancer, heart disease, obesity, depressive disorders and type 2 diabetes in people who work night … Read more

Root of childhood kidney cancer discovered

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A fundamental change in our understanding of the childhood kidney cancer Wilms’ tumour is on the horizon, after the discovery of its earliest genetic root by scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and their collaborators. By comparing genome sequences from normal kidney tissue and tumours, the team identified patches of normal-looking kidney tissue that in … Read more