An international research collaboration led by UCL scientists has developed ways to improve the quality and accuracy of information harvested from epigenome sequencing datasets in two new research papers published jointly in Nature Biotechnology and Nature Communications today. According to the studies, epigenome sequencing technologies can allow for more comprehensive analysis of cancers - a key component in the development of targeted approaches to combat cancer.

In a partnership melding neuroscience and electrical engineering, researchers from UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University have developed a new technology that will allow neuroscientists to capture images of the brain almost 10 times larger than previously possible - helping them better understand the behavior of neurons in the brain.

Nervous systems are complex. After all, everything that any animal thinks or does is controlled by its nervous system. To better understand how complex nervous systems work, researchers have used an expanding array of ever more sophisticated tools that allow them to actually see what's going on. In some cases, neuroscience researchers have had to create entirely new tools to advance their work.

ITHACA, N.Y. - Games are usually more fun when you play with other people, but if you're playing an educational game, interacting with other players may help you learn more, according to Cornell University research.

Using a language-learning game called "Crystallize," created by Erik Andersen, assistant professor of computer science, and his students, researchers found that when players are required to work together they learn more words -- and enjoy the game more.

Andersen and colleagues described the game and reported on their user studies at the 2016 ACM Conference on Human-Computer Interaction in San Jose, California.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Using virtual tissue technology, researchers at Indiana University have identified a potential new drug target in the fight against polycystic kidney disease, an illness with no effective FDA-approved treatment that affects 200,000 people per year in the United States.

The study appears in the journal Molecular Biology of the Cell. It reveals that errors in how cells stick together give rise to two forms of kidney cysts.

These cysts can cause an adult kidney -- normally about the size of a fist and weighing less than a pound -- to grow to the size of a football that weights 20 to 30 pounds. Currently, only dialysis or a kidney transplant can delay death from the disease.

ANN ARBOR --If the United States responds to Zika the way it did to Ebola -- and early indications are that in many ways it is -- the country can expect missteps brought about by a lack of health care coordination and a lot of political finger pointing, according to an analysis by the University of Michigan.

Scott Greer of the U-M School of Public Health and colleagues studied the U.S. response to Ebola and found a fragmented system with no clear leadership, and considerable "strategic politicization" due to the outbreak's arrival during a midterm election year.

A program to improve orthopedic surgery residents' communication skills with older adults is having a positive impact, according to a new study. The program at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) seeks to enhance third-year residents' interactions with older adults by sensitizing the residents to their needs and dispelling negative misconceptions.

A study discussing the results of the Hospital for Special Surgery program was presented at the Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors meeting on June 24, 2016 in Seattle.

Good communication skills are an important attribute for all physicians, yet patient surveys nationwide have shown that these skills are often lacking. It can be an even greater challenge for doctors when the patient is an older adult.