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(02/08/13 1:55am)
Evolution may have finally caught up to one of the most magnificent and long-living creatures still existent in our world: turtles. These reptiles first made their appearance, as far as scientists agree today, approximately 220 million years ago. However, recently increasing numbers of species in the Testudines order are qualifying for the “Critically Endangered” and “Endangered” conservation statuses.
(01/31/13 7:22pm)
Along with the start of classes, as the new semester begins, is the onset of weekend partying and late-night drinking. Especially with recruitment week luring in the corner, the presence of alcohol is to be expected.
(11/15/12 10:45pm)
With Thanksgiving just lurking around the corner, many of us are probably in the midst of planning the dinner menu for the big night. Regardless of the side dishes, a roasted stuffed turkey is always the highlight at the table. In honor of this unfortunate species, this is a good time to point out some turkey facts and misconceptions.
(11/09/12 12:50am)
As the world gravitates toward the two polar extremes of body weight — obesity and anorexia — scientists struggle to determine the underlying biological causes, hoping to find effective treatments to combat these disorders.
(10/26/12 2:17am)
Who still remembers cringing from the high-pitched screeches of your grade school teacher pressing down on chalk a tad too hard? For those of you with younger siblings, what about the time when you were rudely awakened up in the middle of the night from the baby’s bloodcurdling screams?
(10/12/12 3:14am)
Would you rather have a choice, or do you want to be told what to do? Chances are, you’re smirking at the question thinking, of course I want to have choices! Research shows, however, that in some situations, people are happier when they are told what to do.
(10/05/12 3:21am)
Ever wonder if there’s a good way to identify psychopaths? A recent study by scientists from Macquarie University in Australia suggests that those with psychopathic traits may also have an impaired sense of smell.
(09/20/12 11:31pm)
Many people are still haunted by images of the devastating earthquake and tsunami which occurred just over a year ago in Tohoku, Japan.
(09/14/12 1:12am)
Rumors about the new iPhone 5 seemed endless for the past couple years. After Apple lovers got past the disappointment brought on by the release of the iPhone 4S in place of the iPhone 5 last year, their imagination and excitement about the magical iPhone 5 only heightened. Fortunately, Apple seems to have lived up to the expectations with the recent unveiling of the iPhone 5.
(09/14/12 1:00am)
The daily glucose check has long been a pain, quite literally, for many diabetics. Fortunately, researchers from the Frauhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems recently engineered a biosensor that can take non-invasive blood sugar measurements using sweat or tears instead of blood. Manufacturing these devices is cost-efficient, making them ideal for mass production.
(05/03/12 6:53pm)
Jason Trageser, the newest faculty addition to Hopkins’ prestigious Neuroscience Program, has a lot on his plate. As a prolific researcher, neuroscience lab co-instructor, and Hopkins’ one and only neuroeconomics professor, Trageser has a lot to say about Hopkins, neuroeconomics, and his passion for research.
(04/19/12 9:05pm)
Imagine a three-year-old with toys. Now picture a seven-year-old in class. Whether it’s the senseless handling of toys or the inability to stay quiet, there is no doubt that there are stereotypical behaviors people attribute to others. The big question remains: are our behaviors determined by nature or nurture? In other words, can our genes predict how we behave?
(03/14/12 5:00am)
Motivation can hinder goal achievement
(03/07/12 5:00am)
With the coming of March, it seems safe to say that this year's winter is officially over. However, this statement leaves many wondering why most of North America didn't have to pull out the heavy jackets and electric snow plowers, which typically make their appearance at least once per year. Jet streams and La Niña seem to hold the answer, as researchers suggest.
(02/29/12 5:00am)
The auditory system connects us to the outside world through sounds. Ranging from the musical tone of an orchestra performance to the annoying tapping noises your neighbor won't stop making in class, every sound is translated into the complex language neurons used to communicate. Hopkins researchers have recently discovered another explanation for why hearing loss can lead to everyday challenges. Their new study demonstrates that hearing loss increases one's risk of falling by nearly three times. The finding exposes a major public health concern that may potentially save the US billions of dollars in health care costs if addressed properly. In a normal ear, an external structure known as the pinna reflects sound waves in our surroundings and directs them to the auditory canal. The main function of the pinna is to help the brain determine the direction of the sound source. Once they reach the ear, sound waves travel through the auditory canal and eventually encounter the tympanic membrane, commonly known as the eardrum. Subsequently, the waves go through three bones - malleus, incus and stapes, that serve to increase the pressure of the waves. At a higher pressure, sound waves are able to transmit through the fluid, as they pass the oval window. At this point, the sound waves have already reached the inner ear, which consists of the cochlea and various vestibular system structures. The basilar membrane in the cochlea is arranged such that lower frequency sound waves travel further and stimulate hair cells closer to the apex of the membrane, while higher frequency sounds activate hair cells closer to the base. Stimulated hair cells depolarize, which means that there is an increase in intracellular voltage. The hair cells then transmit the signal to neurons that make up the auditory nerve, eventually leading to the temporal lobe in the brain. The temporal lobe is the cortical area primarily responsible for receiving and processing auditory stimuli. Deafness can occur when any point of this pathway is disrupted. In general, hearing loss can be separated into two categories: conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss. Conductive hearing impairment occurs when the sound wave is unable to reach the inner ear, often because of damage to the eardrum or to bones in the middle ear. Sensorineural hearing impairment occurs when the inner ear isn't functioning properly. Damage to hair cells, for example, is the most common cause of sensorineural hearing impariment. Patients subjected to hearing loss may have an increased risk of falling because they are less aware of their surroundings. Additionally, these patients can experience cognitive load, which occurs when the brain is overwhelmed by limited resources, such as reduced functioning of one of its senses. In the study, the researchers tested the hearing ability of 2,017 subjects between the ages of 40-69. The subjects were asked questions about their age, sex and demographic background. They were also asked to report the number of falls they had experienced within the past year. Upon analyzing the data, the researchers found that people suffering from mild hearing loss were nearly three times more likely to fall. Other factors known to cause falls, such as increased age and cardiovascular disease, were taken into account but did not affect the findings. Hearing loss is measured using a unit called the decibel. A mild hearing loss is characterized by a measure of 25-decibel. Subjects with 25-decibel hearing loss showed a threefold increase in falls. Each subsequent 10-decibel increase raised the chances of falling by another 1.4 fold. With such a high risk of falling, researchers are hoping to develop ways of securing the safety of patients subject to hearing loss. The study will hopefully inspire new methods of preventing falls and reducing subsequent injuries.
(02/22/12 5:00am)
Given the copious amount of sensory stimuli in our surroundings, it is not an easy feat to focus on any one particular piece of information. Take our visual system, for example: how is it possible to locate your friend in a busy lecture hall? Neuroscientists at the Carnegie Mellon University, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, identified the connections between different brain regions used to pay attention to selective visual stimuli. It has long been known that the occipital lobe, or visual cortex, located at the posterior part of the cerebral cortex, is responsible for the processes of visual information. Photons of different wavelengths strike the photoreceptors in the eyes, subsequently activating a series of neurons, eventually reaching the visual cortex. Specialized neurons in this area are responsible for encoding different types of stimuli. For example, there are neurons that respond specifically to a particular direction of motion in visual area V5, also known as the MT cortex. The parietal lobe, on the other hand, has been known to receive input from various areas in the brain, including the visual cortex. The information is then processed, thus allowing the subject to selectively pay attention to limited sensory stimuli, singled out from the copious amount available. However, although it has been known that the visual cortex communicates to the parietal lobe, the specific connections have always been a mystery. Do neurons of the visual cortex each correspond to a particular neuron in the parietal lobe, or is the association amongst a broader population of neurons? This study demonstrates that the one-to-one mapping between neurons is not limited to the photoreceptors in the retina. Instead, attention also seems to be a process resulting from one-to-one connections between neurons in the visual cortex and those in the parietal lobe. There are two parts to this study. In the first part, several functional brain scans were used to identify regions responsible for processing of visual stimuli and attention. Participants were asked to fixate on a dot at the center of the screen, while six stimuli flashed around the dot. In the second task, participants were then asked to respond to each stimuli one at a time, while their brains were scanned to determine activity levels in the occipital and parietal cortices. The second part of the experiment was geared toward determining the anatomical information of the white matter connectivity. Participants were scanned without engaging in any tasks. The results were then combined with those of the first part of the study to determine the connectivity of white matter tracks (axons) during functional tasks of part one. Results suggest that the connections are mapped systematically, which means that there are direct connections between visual field locations in the occipital cortex and corresponding regions of the parietal lobe. Furthermore, the scans were performed using "diffusion spectrum imaging," which is a new technique developed at the Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh. Combined with high-resolution tractography, results of this study show a higher level of accuracy in terms of connections mapped, when compared to those determined using other traditional methods. Knowing that training can alter white matter connectivity, researchers hope to improve attention by filtering out irrelevant information through training. It is hopeful that this will provide further insight to visual and attention deficit disorders.
(02/01/12 5:00am)
Chronic wound infections are often difficult to prevent and a hassle to treat. Fortunately, Sarah Maddocks and her colleagues from Cardiff Metropolitan University recently published a study that suggests the effectiveness of manuka honey in both treating bacterial infections and preventing them in the first place.
(11/09/11 5:00am)
It is frightening to consider the costs behind the large amount of drugs used to treat patients today. Fortunately, a recent study at Hopkins Hospital led by Brandyn Lau and colleagues shows that potentially millions of dollars can be saved each year by simply replacing intravenous medications for pills in hospitalized patients who are capable of swallowing.
(10/26/11 5:00am)
The human body is amazing in its ability to modify external signals to maximize one's awareness, without causing excessive discomfort. Although the general mechanism of central nervous system control of sensory perception has been known, researchers at the University of Buenos Aires and the Hopkins School of Medicine only recently published a study on the cellular process at the synaptic level.
(10/12/11 5:00am)
A single dose of hallucinogen is capable of bringing about lasting personality changes, as shown in a recent study led by Roland R. Griffiths, psychiatry professor at the Hopkins School of Medicine.