Category Health/Medical

Research suggests social memory formation is regulated by an oxytocin-sensitive brain circuit in a seahorse-shaped area of the brain. Photo: iStock/Bim

Study in mice reveals an oxytocin-fueled brain circuit that regulates social recognition. The results shed light on brain’s ability to sort out confusion by reconciling conflicting social stimuli. How do we recognize others? How do we know friend from foe, threat from reward? How does the brain compute the multitude of cues telling us that Susan is not Erica even though they look alike? The complexity of social interactions – human as well as mammalian – has mystified brain researchers for decades.

Now a new study conducted in mice by regenerative neuroscientists at Harvard Medical School, the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and Massachusetts G...

1. Highlights • Quinolone antibiotics fail to kill bacterial populations at high density • Exhaustion of OXPHOS substrates drives bacterial persistence • Carbon and electron acceptor supplementation restores antibiotic activity • Metabolic priming of OXPHOS reverses tolerance in diverse bacterial species.  2.Sensitization to Cipro in Clinically Relevant Pathogens. 

MIT researchers have discovered a way to make bacteria more vulnerable to quinolones, which include ciprofloxacin and are often used to treat infections such as E coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The new strategy overcomes a key limitation of these drugs, which is that they often fail against infections that feature a very high density of bacteria...

This custom-designed Android app displays test results on a smartphone screen. Credit: David Baillot/UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering

Engineers at the UCSD have developed a smartphone case and app that could make it easier for patients to record and track their blood glucose readings, whether they’re at home or on the go. Currently, checking blood sugar levels can be a hassle for people with diabetes, especially when they have to pack their glucose monitoring kits around with them every time they leave the house.

“Integrating blood glucose sensing into a smartphone would eliminate the need for patients to carry a separate device,” said Patrick Mercier, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at UC San Diego...

Researchers can attach sensors to the organ models to give surgeons real-time feedback on how much force they can use during surgery without damaging the tissue. Credit: McAlpine Research Group

Organ models could improve surgical outcomes in thousands of patients worldwide. A team of researchers led by the University of Minnesota has 3D printed lifelike artificial organ models that mimic the exact anatomical structure, mechanical properties, and look and feel of real organs. These patient-specific organ models, which include integrated soft sensors, can be used for practice surgeries to improve surgical outcomes in thousands of patients worldwide.

“We are developing next-generation organ models for pre-operative practice...