By using electrode implants to track nerve cells firing in the brains of rats as they plan where to go next, Johns Hopkins scientists say they have learned that the mammalian brain likely reconstructs memories in a way more like jumping across stepping stones than walking across a bridge. The research sheds light on what memories are and how they form, and gives clues about how the system can fail.
The fundamental constants that govern the laws of nature are being determined with increasing accuracy. A new paper in this week’s Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data outlines the proceedings from this year's Workshop on the Determination of the Fundamental Constants, where scientists convened to share their research of fundamental constants. Ultimately, better definitions of these constants will aid the redefinition of several standard scientific units, including the kilogram and the Kelvin, by 2018.
When a sound wave hits an obstacle and is scattered, the signal may be lost or degraded. But what if you could guide the signal around that obstacle, as if the interfering barrier didn't even exist? Recently, researchers at Nanjing University in China created a material from polyethylene membranes that does exactly that.
An ongoing international effort to redefine the kilogram by 2018 has been helped by recent efforts from a team researchers from Italy, Japan and Germany to correlate two of the most precise measurements of Avogadro's number and obtain one averaged value that can be used for future calculations. Their results are published this week in the Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data, from AIP Publishing.
Jessica Fanzo, PhD, a nutritionist, professor, and expert in the fields of biodiversity and food security, will be the first Bloomberg Distinguished Associate Professor and will help lead the university's collaborative efforts in ethics, global food, and agricultural policy.
A new study has identified promising compounds that could successfully treat depression in less than 24 hours while minimizing side effects. The compounds could offer significant advantages over current antidepressant medications.
New research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests that the protein keratin 17 – the presence of which is used in the lab to detect and stage various types of cancers – is not just a biomarker for the disease, but may play a critical role in tumor growth.
If not for a single genetic mutation, each kernel on a juicy corn cob would be trapped inside a inedible casing as tough as a walnut shell. The mutation switches one amino acid for another at a specific position in a protein regulating formation of these shells in modern corn’s wild ancestor, according to a study published in the July 2015 issue of GENETICS, a publication of the Genetics Society of America.
Conventional wisdom has long blamed age-related hearing loss almost entirely on the death of sensory hair cells in the inner ear, but research from neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins has provided new information about the workings of nerve cells that suggests otherwise.
65th Annual Meeting of the American Crystallographic Association (ACA) Convenes in Philadelphia this Month, from July 25-29, 2015
Salisbury University partnered with Coastal Hospice and Palliative Care to hold a three-day bereavement summer camp on campus. Designed to help kids with grief management, it was open to ages 6-12. Four senior social work majors enrolled in summer course on children’s grief assisted as counselors.
Researchers funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering have designed a nanoparticle gene delivery system that destroys brain gliomas in a rat model, significantly extending the lives of the treated animals. The nanoparticles are filled with genes for an enzyme that converts a prodrug called ganciclovir into a potent destroyer of the glioma cells
In a genome-sequencing study of pancreatic cancers and blood in 101 patients, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists say they found at least one-third of the patients’ tumors have genetic mutations that may someday help guide precision therapy of their disease. Results of blood tests to detect DNA shed from tumors, they say, also predicted cancer recurrence more than half a year earlier than standard imaging methods.
Research with human tissue and cells suggests that genetic variations, in addition to failure to comply with treatment regimens, may account for some failures of an anti-HIV drug to treat and prevent HIV infection.
In a review of nearly 2,000 surveys with people whose loved ones died of cancer, researchers led by Johns Hopkins experts say they found a 40 percent increase over a 12-year period in the number of patients with cancer who participated in one form of advance care planning — designating durable power of attorney privileges to a loved one — but no corresponding impact on their rates of aggressive medical care received in the last weeks of life.
Risk factors for regular Army suicide attempts by enlisted soldiers and officers in Iraq and Afghanistan have been identified, and socio-demographic factors, length of service, deployment history, and the presence and recency of a mental health diagnosis are among the primary predictors, according to a study published July 8 in JAMA Psychiatry. Enlisted Army service members in their second month of service were at greatest risk for attempting suicide.
The percentage of U.S. Air Force recruits with detectable immunity to measles, mumps and rubella was lower than found in previous nationwide samples and may be low enough for outbreaks to occur, according to a study, "Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Titers in Air Force Recruits: Below Herd Immunity Thresholds?" released July 7, in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery (JHDD) program, created with the mission of identifying novel drug targets arising from Johns Hopkins faculty research and translating them into new therapeutics, and the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague) have entered into a five-year drug discovery research agreement to develop small-molecule and peptide drugs for a range of therapeutic areas including neurological diseases, cancer and gastrointestinal disorders.
With the mega-excitement about women's soccer, lots of little girls may now want to play soccer. Kevin Crutchfield, M.D., from LifeBridge Health shares insight about the risks of concussions and things parents should consider before deciding if their kids will play.
A new study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers of patients hospitalized with anorexia nervosa shows that a faster weight gain during inpatient treatment — well beyond what national standards recommend — is safe and effective.
The Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality and The Queen’s Health Systems in Honolulu have entered into a collaboration agreement to improve patient safety and quality of care initiatives at hospitals in the state of Hawaii.
Ainissa Ramirez, a self-described "science evangelist," is the winner of the 2015 Andrew Gemant Award, an annual prize recognizing significant contributions to the cultural, artistic or humanistic dimension of physics, the American Institute of Physics (AIP) announced today.
When Greek mythology and cell biology meet, you get the protein Callipygian, recently discovered and named by researchers at The Johns Hopkins University for its role in determining which area of a cell becomes the back as it begins to move.
ASHP and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) released a National Alert for Serious Medication Errors, recommending the replacement of dosage cups that measure liquid medications in fluid drams with cups that measure only in metric (mL).
Researchers have long had reason to hope that blocking the flow of calcium into the mitochondria of heart and brain cells could be one way to prevent damage caused by heart attacks and strokes. But in a study of mice engineered to lack a key calcium channel in their heart cells, Johns Hopkins scientists appear to have cast a shadow of doubt on that theory. A report on their study is published online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Omega-3 fish oil is a popular supplement because of its perceived cardiovascular benefits, but the scientific evidence has been conflicting. New research in Physiological Reports supports the claims for seniors, finding that healthy seniors who took omega-3 supplements every day had better cardiovascular health after 12 weeks of use.
New research suggests that a molecule commonly found “decorating” brain cells in higher animals, including humans, may affect brain structure. The study showed that small changes made in how sialic acid attaches to cell surfaces can cause damaged brain structure, poor motor skills, hyperactivity and learning difficulties in mice.
For cell division to be successful, pairs of chromosomes have to line up just right before being swept into their new cells, like the opening of a theater curtain. They accomplish this feat in part thanks to structures called centrioles that provide anchors for the curtain’s ropes. Researchers recently learned that most cells will not divide without centrioles, and they found out why: The protein p53 monitors centriole numbers to prevent potentially disastrous cell divisions.
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Tsinghua University and Capital Healthcare Group, a Beijing-based financial firm, signed an agreement in Beijing on July 2 that establishes a collaborative doctoral degree in public health in China.
New research shows that cardiovascular disease conditions trigger pathways that protect the blood vessels. The response may be a new therapeutic strategy for cardiovascular disease. This research is highlighted as one of this month’s “best of the best” as part of the American Physiological Society’s APSselect program.
While most Americans do not support policies designed to increase distribution of naloxone – a medication that reverses the effects of a drug overdose – certain types of educational messages about its lifesaving benefits may bolster support for its use, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.
New research using data from the reputable Look AHEAD study suggests doctors may want to look at results from a patient’s first two months of intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) to help predict his or her long-term success. These secondary analyses conducted by Unick and colleagues published in the July issue of Obesity, the scientific journal of The Obesity Society examined the association between initial weight loss (first two months of treatment) and long-term weight loss (eight years after initial treatment).
Vanderbilt University researchers have found embryonic brown fat transplants reversed type 1 diabetes and restored glucose tolerance to normal in non-obese diabetic mice. The research is published in the American Journal of Physiology–Endocrinology and Metabolism and was selected as an APSselect article for July.
The Journal of Biological Chemistry today welcomed F. Peter Guengerich of Vanderbilt University as the journal’s interim editor-in-chief.
Researchers find that nerve stimulation can improve the function of peripheral nerves damaged by spinal cord injury (SCI). This technique may be a new approach to preventing long-term changes in nerve and muscle function after SCI and improving SCI rehabilitation outcomes.This research is highlighted as one of this month’s “best of the best” as part of the American Physiological Society’s APSselect program.
The following articles are freely available online from Physics Today (www.physicstoday.org), the world's most influential and closely followed magazine devoted to physics and the physical science community.
Long-term use of naproxen (ALEVE), a type of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is often prescribed for chronic pain conditions such as osteoarthritis. However, because of NSAID-related gastrointestinal problems including stomach and intestinal inflammation and ulcers, many are unable to tolerate ongoing use. A new study, published in the American Journal of Physiology–Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, finds that a naproxen-derivative may provide both symptom relief and gastrointestinal protection. The research is highlighted as one of this month’s “best of the best” as part of the American Physiological Society’s APSselect program.
Working in cell cultures and mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that an experimental drug called fostamatinib combined with the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel may overcome ovarian cancer cells’ resistance to paclitaxel.
10 years after graduating, many have found financially solid and meaningful employment in the private sector, according to a new report from the American Institute of Physics
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today that it will delay enforcement of Track and Trace requirements that were scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2015, until November 1, 2015. This policy change follows a formal written request by ASHP urging FDA to give hospitals and health systems more time to comply with the regulations.
Seeking a better way to identify faulty energy infrastructure before it fails, researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory are using subatomic particles called muons to analyze the thickness of concrete slabs and metal pipes. Their technique, described in a June 30 paper in the journal AIP Advances, from AIP Publishing, is a way to safely and non-invasively find worn infrastructure components using background radiation already present in the environment.
New study of hydrogen storage material magnesium hydride reveals path to better performance, possibly paving way toward better future fuel tanks
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have come up with a new solution to alleviate the environmental burden of discarded electronics. They have demonstrated the feasibility of making microwave biodegradable thin-film transistors from a transparent, flexible biodegradable substrate made from inexpensive wood, called cellulose nanofibrillated fiber (CNF). This work opens the door for green, low-cost, portable electronic devices in future.
The first study of its kind measuring the brain’s role in mediating caloric intake following alcohol consumption among women shows that alcohol exposure sensitizes the brain’s response to food aromas and increases caloric intake.
A pilot program designed to encourage mom and pop carryout shops in Baltimore to promote and sell healthier menu items not only improved eating habits, but also increased the stores’ gross revenue by an average 25 percent, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research found.
NIBIB-supported researchers have created tiny gel particles that can perform the same essential functions as platelets. The particles could one day be used to control excessive bleeding following traumatic injury or in individuals with impaired clotting due to an inherited condition or as a result of certain medications or chemotherapy.
As the South Korean MERS outbreak continues, researchers have discovered and validated two therapeutics that show early promise in preventing and treating the disease, which can cause severe respiratory symptoms, and has a death rate of 40 percent.
A specific type of talk therapy dispensed in the developing world to orphans and other vulnerable children who experienced trauma such as sexual and domestic abuse showed dramatic results, despite being administered by workers with little education, new research shows.
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is kicking off a yearlong, globe-spanning celebration of its Centennial year.
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