Brain

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) opened a public comment period Wednesday for the recommended names of elements 115, 117 and 118.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia (JINR) were credited late last year for discovering elements 115 and 118. LLNL, JINR, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Vanderbilt University and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas were credited with the discovery of element 117.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn., June 8, 2016 -- The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Inorganic Chemistry Division has published a Provisional Recommendation for the names and symbols of the recently discovered superheavy elements 113, 115, 117, and 118.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating condition with no known effective treatment. The disease is characterized by memory loss as well as impaired locomotor ability, reasoning, and judgment. Emerging evidence suggests that the innate immune response plays a major role in the pathogenesis of AD.

Scientists at King's College London have developed a blood test that accurately and reliably predicts whether depressed patients will respond to common antidepressants, which could herald a new era of personalised treatment for people with depression.

Guided by this test, patients with blood inflammation above a certain threshold could be directed towards earlier access to more assertive antidepressant strategies, such as a combination of antidepressants, before their condition worsens.

Utilizing information from all the senses is critical for building a robust and rich representation of our surroundings. Given the wealth of multisensory information constantly bombarding us, however, how does our brain know which signals go together and thus need to be combined? And how does it integrate such related signals?

Though they meet thousands of new people in their lifetime, what underlying psychological factors might couples use to stay committed to their partners? According to a recent study, people in relationships actually see tempting people outside of their partnership as less attractive. This perceptual bias could represent a non-conscious method of self-control that assists in overcoming temptations in order to facilitate long term goals of staying with a romantic partner.

What is it about the sight of an infant that makes almost everyone crack a smile? Big eyes, chubby cheeks, and a button nose? An infectious laugh, soft skin, and a captivating smell? While we have long known that babies look cute, Oxford University researchers have found that cuteness is designed to appeal to all our senses.

Mothers who practiced responsive parenting -- including reacting promptly and appropriately to hunger and fullness cues -- were less likely to have overweight babies at their one-year checkup than those who did not, say health researchers.

Parents should expect infants to triple their birth weight by their first birthday, but some babies gain weight more quickly than others. This rapid weight gain is associated with risk for becoming obese later in life.

HOUSTON - (June 6, 2016) - A Rice University study has found a link between emotional stress and diabetes, with roots in the brain's ability to control anxiety.

That control lies with the brain's executive functions, processes that handle attention, inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility and are also involved in reasoning, problem-solving and planning.

Research from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital suggests that pediatric leukemia patients exposed to higher concentrations of the chemotherapy drug methotrexate are more likely to struggle with mental flexibility, organization and related skills as long-term survivors. The findings appear online today in an early release article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Scientists at USC have developed a new tool to modify brain activity and memory in targeted ways, without the help of any drugs or chemicals.

The GFE3 protein may help researchers map the brain's connections and better understand how inhibitory synapses modulate brain function, said lead author Don B. Arnold, a professor of biological sciences at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

It also may enable them to control neural activity and lead to advancements in research for diseases or conditions ranging from schizophrenia to cocaine addiction, Arnold said.

As elementary and middle school students progress in school, they are less likely to have friends of a different race, even from the beginning to the end of a single school year, finds a study led by NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

The study, published online in the Journal of Early Adolescence, also suggests that teachers may make a difference in how students select and maintain friends.

Athens, Ga. - Though eating in moderation might be considered practical advice for healthy nutrition, a new University of Georgia study suggests the term's wide range of interpretations may make it an ineffective guide for losing or maintaining weight.

The more people like a food, the more forgiving their definitions of moderation are, said the study's lead author Michelle vanDellen, an assistant professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of psychology.

A new study is further burnishing copper's reputation as an essential nutrient for human physiology. A research team led by a scientist at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and at the University of California, Berkeley, has found that copper plays a key role in metabolizing fat.

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke researchers have developed a system that allows real-time optical and electrical observations of the gut's nervous system in a live animal.

And if you weren't aware that the gut had its own nervous system, don't worry, you're not alone.