In parallel human and mouse studies, two groups of researchers have come to the same conclusion: that a new kind of gene is associated with progressive hearing loss. The new gene, a microRNA, is a tiny fragment of RNA that affects the production of hundreds of other molecules within sensory hair cells of the inner ear.   The research provides important new genetic understanding of a condition that is common in humans but remains poorly understood.

Universities, with a young  constituency and an employee base of academics interested in new discoveries and ways of communication, should have embraced social media early - but they have not and if they don't embrace new techniques in pedagogy they risk becoming seen as anachronisms in today’s hyper-connected world where information is available freely, says a University of Illinois expert who studies the knowledge economy’s effect on higher education.

Earthstock, Stony Brook University’s 8th annual week long awareness-raising celebration of Earth Day, kicks off at 10 am on Friday, April 17 with a full day of entertainment, food, refreshments, environmentally-oriented activities and visual displays situated all around the Academic Mall. 

It is a fact of science that people who consume fewer calories than they burn will lose weight.  It is 100 percent effective.   But it is equally well-known that some people cannot do that and neuroscience has yet to find a reasonable explanation for it.

For those who truly cannot lose weight by a disciplined approach to diet and exercise, surgery is a last resort but Nick Nicholson, M.D., weight loss surgeon on the medical staff at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano,  says outside the usual benefits, surgery can actually improve other health conditions. 

Here are 5 other improvements weight loss surgery can bring:

If words were people, then "eloquent," "love" and "symphony" would get dates most Friday nights but "vomit," "moist" and "puke" would stay home alone, wondering what went wrong. 

How are words pretty or ugly? That's the question Robert E. Wolverton Sr., a Mississippi State University classics professor, recently asked in a survey of some 75 students in his classes. The poll is part of the foreign language faculty member's "semi-frequent" examination of how students at the land-grant university view widely used terms. 

Of the 148 different "beautiful" words submitted by students this year are several listed multiple times: eloquent (six), love (four) and symphony (four). Beautiful, lavender and tranquility each received three mentions. 

A magnitude 8.0. earthquake destroyed 90 percent of the city of Pisco, Peru on August 16, 2007. The event killed 595 people, while another 318 were missing. Tsunami waves were observed locally, off the shore of Chile, and as far away as New Zealand. 

In a study published in the Geophysical Journal International, scientists from the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, in collaboration with scientists from the University of Oxford (U.K.) have analyzed data on this earthquake and its impact on regional topography. Using InSAR-based geodetic data and teleseismic data, the scientists were able to use satellite images to identify details of this major plate boundary event.