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Learning requires rhythmical activity of neurons
Oscillating microscopic beads could be key to biolab on a chip
Bees decrease food intake, live longer, when given compound found in red wine
Eye proteins have germ-killing power, could lead to new antimicrobial drugs, study finds
Chemist's fluoride research may hold the key to cleanup of toxic substances
Researchers Demonstrate Cheaper Way To Produce NFO Thin Films
Viruses Help Scientists Battle Pathogenic Bacteria and Improve Water Supply
Little evidence supports medical treatment options for adolescents with autism
Some deadly breast cancers share genetic features with ovarian tumors
In relationships based on mutuality, the number of individuals involved can determine the rate at which species evolve

Learning requires rhythmical activity of neurons

Posted: 25 Sep 2012 07:20 AM PDT

The hippocampus represents an important brain structure for learning. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich discovered how it filters electrical neuronal signals through an input and output control, thus regulating learning and memory processes. Accordingly, effective signal transmission needs so-called theta-frequency impulses of the cerebral cortex. With a frequency of three to eight hertz, these impulses generate waves of electrical activity that propagate through the hippocampus.

Oscillating microscopic beads could be key to biolab on a chip

Posted: 25 Sep 2012 06:53 AM PDT

If you throw a ball underwater, you’ll find that the smaller it is, the faster it moves: A larger cross-section greatly increases the water’s resistance. Now, a team of MIT researchers has figured out a way to use this basic principle, on a microscopic scale, to carry out biomedical tests that could eventually lead to fast, compact and versatile medical-testing devices.

Bees decrease food intake, live longer, when given compound found in red wine

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 12:17 PM PDT

The idea that drinking red wine may provide health benefits – or possibly even extend your life – is an appealing thought for many people. Now, there may be added attraction. Researchers have found that when given resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, bees consume less food.

Eye proteins have germ-killing power, could lead to new antimicrobial drugs, study finds

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 12:02 PM PDT

When it comes to germ-busting power, the eyes have it, according to a discovery by UC Berkeley researchers that could lead to new, inexpensive antimicrobial drugs.

Proteins in the eye can help keep pathogens at bay, finds a new UC Berkeley study.

Chemist's fluoride research may hold the key to cleanup of toxic substances

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 12:00 PM PDT

A Florida State University chemist’s work could lead to big improvements in our ability to detect and eliminate specific toxic substances in our environment.

Featured on the cover of the prestigious Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), Sourav Saha’s specialized work to strip electrons from the toxic chemical known as fluoride is producing a variety of unique results.

Researchers Demonstrate Cheaper Way To Produce NFO Thin Films

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:51 AM PDT

Researchers from North Carolina State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology have demonstrated a less-expensive way to create textured nickel ferrite (NFO) ceramic thin films, which can easily be scaled up to address manufacturing needs. NFO is a magnetic material that holds promise for microwave technologies and next-generation memory devices.

Viruses Help Scientists Battle Pathogenic Bacteria and Improve Water Supply

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:41 AM PDT

Infectious bacteria received a taste of their own medicine from University of Missouri researchers who used viruses to infect and kill colonies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, common disease-causing bacteria. The viruses, known as bacteriophages, could be used to efficiently sanitize water treatment facilities and may aid in the fight against deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Little evidence supports medical treatment options for adolescents with autism

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 10:07 AM PDT

Vanderbilt University researchers are reporting today that there is insufficient evidence to support the use of medical interventions in adolescents and young adults with autism.

Despite studies that show that many adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders are being prescribed medications, there is almost no evidence to show whether these medications are helpful in this population, the researchers said.

These findings are featured in the Sept. 24 issue of Pediatrics.

Some deadly breast cancers share genetic features with ovarian tumors

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 08:31 AM PDT

The most comprehensive analysis yet of breast cancer shows that one of the most deadly subtypes is genetically more similar to ovarian tumors than to other breast cancers.

In relationships based on mutuality, the number of individuals involved can determine the rate at which species evolve

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 08:21 AM PDT

The relationship between species determines how rapidly they evolve. Parasites and their hosts coevolve more rapidly, and partners in a mutualistic relationship can evolve more slowly. But this view is obviously too simplistic. The rate of evolution in a mutualistic relationship does not depend only on the type of interactions, but also on the number of individuals involved, according to a model developed by researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, Germany.