Internet nastiness, name-calling, and other not-so-petty, world-altering disagreements.. AI is sexy, AI is cool. AI is entrenching inequality, upending the job market, and wrecking education. AI is a theme-park ride, AI is a magic trick. AI is our final invention, AI is a moral obligation. AI is the buzzword of the decade, AI is [...]
Researchers have long studied how consciousness forms in the brain. Professor Ekrem Dere proposes defining conscious phases via behavioral observations and learning curves, using sudden insights to identify conscious processing times. Consciousness varies by task, and studying these phases can reveal brain mechanisms through imaging. For generations, researchers have pondered the origins and mechanisms [...]
Summary: Researchers uncover how specific brain cells and circuits become vulnerable in Alzheimer’s disease and identify factors that may promote resilience to cognitive decline. Analyzing gene expression in over 1.3 million cells across multiple brain regions, the study highlights the role of Reelin in neuron protection and choline metabolism in astrocytes for cognitive resilience. These [...]
Research indicates that while the most severe effects of SARS-CoV-2 were observed in patients with acute COVID-19, individuals who experienced milder cases and were not hospitalized also reported symptoms of memory loss and attention deficits lasting over 18 months post-infection. Memory loss and attention deficit are common complaints among severe COVID-19 survivors. However, these and other cognitive [...]
Vanderbilt researchers have developed a set of nanoparticles that stimulate the immune system in mice to fight cancer and may eventually do the same in humans. The research, led by John T. Wilson, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and biomedical engineering, was recently published in ACS Nano. Working with collaborators at Yale University, Wilson and his [...]
The need for innovative antimicrobial agents has become increasingly urgent due to the rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and the persistent threat of infections acquired during hospital stays. Traditional antibiotics and antiseptics are often ineffective against these resilient microorganisms, leading to severe health complications and increased healthcare costs. Therefore, researchers are exploring alternative solutions that [...]
Research reveals that selective expression of maternal or paternal X chromosomes varies by organ, driven by cellular competition. A new study published today (July 26) in Nature Genetics by the Lymphoid Development Group at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences has revealed that the contribution of cells expressing maternal or paternal X chromosomes can be selectively [...]
Whether or not a person becomes seriously ill with COVID-19 depends, among other things, on genetic factors. With this in mind, researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn, in cooperation with other research teams from Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy, investigated a particularly large group of affected individuals. [...]
Sleep and wake: They're totally distinct states of being that define the boundaries of our daily lives. For years, scientists have measured the difference between these instinctual brain processes by observing brain waves, with sleep characteristically defined by slow, long-lasting waves measured in tenths of seconds that travel across the whole organ. For the [...]
The study broadly reveals how fast brain waves, previously overlooked, establish fundamental patterns of sleep and wakefulness. Scientists have developed a new method to analyze sleep and wake states by detecting ultra-fast neuronal activity patterns, just milliseconds long, challenging traditional understandings based on slower brain waves. This research also uncovered that individual brain regions [...]
