science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Δευτέρα 21 Οκτωβρίου 2013

Science News SciGuru.com

Rats! Humans and rodents face their errors
Vertebral augmentation for spinal fractures offers greater patient survival and overall cost savings
West African bats - no safe haven for malaria parasites

Rats! Humans and rodents face their errors

Posted: 21 Oct 2013 07:44 AM PDT

What happens when the brain recognizes an error? A new study shows that the brains of humans and rats adapt in a similar way to errors by using low-frequency brainwaves in the medial frontal cortex to synchronize neurons in the motor cortex. The finding could be important in studies of “adaptive control” problems like obsessive compulsive disorder, ADHD, and Parkinson’s.

People and rats may think alike when they’ve made a mistake and are trying to adjust their thinking.

Vertebral augmentation for spinal fractures offers greater patient survival and overall cost savings

Posted: 21 Oct 2013 07:32 AM PDT

A study of 69,000 Medicare patient records led by Johns Hopkins researchers shows that people with spine compression fractures who undergo operations to strengthen back bones with cement survive longer and have shorter overall hospital stays than those who stick with bed rest, pain control and physical therapy.

West African bats - no safe haven for malaria parasites

Posted: 21 Oct 2013 07:25 AM PDT

In Europe, bats are normally discussed in the context of endangered species threatened by loss of their habitats. However, in recent years, bats have caught the eye of infection biologists. The animals are namely hosts to a surprising number of pathogens, many of which could be dangerous to humans. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin and the American Museum of Natural History have been able to identify in West African bats four genera of parasites that are closely related to the malaria pathogen.