Hopkins to perform first HIV transplants

The Johns Hopkins Hospital recently revealed that it is ready to perform kidney and liver transplants between HIV-positive donors and HIV-positive patients. The hospital, which received approval to conduct this procedure from the United Network for Organ Sharing, will be the first hospital in the U.S. to perform an HIV-positive kidney transplant and the first in the world to perform an HIV-positive liver transplant.

New study links Zika virus to fetal microcephaly

First discovered in Uganda in 1947 as a mosquito-borne virus that caused a brief, mild illness, the Zika virus’s notoriety has expanded significantly as it continues to live up to its recent designation by the World Health Organization as a global public health emergency.

Individuals show mental deficits after being Tasered

Let’s say you’ve just been Tasered and arrested by a police officer. As you lay there, dazed and in shock, the officer handcuffs you and reads you your Miranda rights. He asks you if you understand them, and you likely nod or reply a shaky “yes.” You can now be interrogated, and your words can be used against you.

Gravitational waves discovered

Cosmologists announced on Feb. 11 that they have detected ripples in space-time called gravitational waves. This confirms predictions made a century ago by Albert Einstein and provides an entirely new way to observe the universe.

Stem cells continue to produce neurons

U.S. may yield more renewable energy by 2030

On Nov. 30, the Conference of the Parties (COP), consisting of over 190 countries, met in Paris to reduce the effects of climate change. By Dec. 12, this meeting had resulted in an agreement to hold the increase in global average temperature to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. For the United States, this involved a pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 28 percent below 2005 levels.

Moon was formed by a head-on collision

Geochemists from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have reported that the moon was formed by a colossal collision between the Earth and a “planetary embryo” called Theia roughly 100 million years after the Earth formed. While scientists were aware of this collision for quite some time, many thought that the Earth and Theia collided at an angle of 45 degrees or more. However, new evidence suggests that the impact was more likely entirely head-on.

Humans contain fewer bacterial cells than expected

The expression “we are not alone” is truly an understatement when considering the number of microbes that live in and on the human body.

New process extracts gold from electronics

Gold, the precious metal that built and destroyed empires, was the focus of millions of investors for years. Two years ago, gold prices peaked at around $2,000 per ounce. This ongoing interest in gold not only motivated ancient kings to start wars of conquest but also inspired a team of scientists to search for innovative methods of extracting gold.

Apple rumored to release up-to-date iPhone 5se

While the power, efficiency and functionality of smart phones have grown rapidly in recent years, so has their size. Apple in particular has been releasing larger and larger mobile devices. This March, it is rumored that Apple will reveal its newest iPhone model. The new phone will purportedly be called the iPhone 5se, with “se” denoting “special edition,” and it will not be larger than four inches.

Students compete, learn at largest HopHacks

HopHacks, a bi-annual event held in Hackerman Hall this weekend, offered approximately 300 students from all around the region an opportunity to collaborate with peers and to work with cutting-edge technology.

Scientists replicate autism in monkeys

Chinese scientists have genetically engineered monkeys to show core symptoms of autism, according to a new study conducted at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and published in Nature. By using human gene therapy, the researchers, lead by Zilong Qiu of the Institute of Neuroscience at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, were able to create a line of cynomolgus monkeys, or crab-eating macaques, that expressed several core phenotypes of autism. The genetically-modified monkeys represent the first known primate model of autism, giving researchers a new tool through which they can better understand autism spectrum disorders.

Desert beetle inspires invention to reduce frost

A team of researchers from Virginia Tech has found a way to control frost growth caused by condensation. By manipulating chemical micropatterns, the researchers may be able to prevent frost from forming in dangerous places, such as airplane parts, condenser coils and windshields.

Researchers discover likely ninth planet

Researchers at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, Calif. have recently discovered evidence of “Planet Nine,” a giant planet located at the outer edges of the solar system.

Zika virus declared global emergency

The current Zika outbreak has spread to more than 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that it will infect another four million people by the year’s end.

Cocaine catalyzes death of brain cells

Researchers in the Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have found that high doses of cocaine in mice kill brain cells by way of overactive autophagy, a “housekeeping” process through which cells rid themselves of debris and waste.

Groups of cells play “telephone” to relay signals

Complex organisms like humans are made of trillions of cells that can communicate with each other to coordinate actions. During development, when a cell’s identity is being determined, the chemical environment around a stem cell influences its differentiation into a specific type of cell. A cell can sense the concentration gradient of a chemical signal in its environment, causing the cell to move in a desired direction and then proliferate.

Quantum dots combat antibiotic resistance

Sick with a sinus infection, strep throat or pneumonia, you were probably prescribed antibiotics. In fact, antibiotics are the primary method of treatment for most bacterial infections. The drugs, while often very successful, have resulted in unforeseen consequences since the beginning of their use.

Exposure to green views improves test scores

The next time you enter a classroom for a test, you might want to choose a seat that has a view of a green landscape. You may do better on the test and be less stressed, according to the results of a recently published study.