By revealing for the first time what happens in the brain when an animal makes a mistake, Johns Hopkins University researchers are shedding light on the holy grail of neuroscience: the mechanics of how we learn.

 

The team pinpointed the exact moment mice learned a new skill by observing the activity of individual neurons, confirming earlier work that suggested animals are fast learners that purposely test the boundaries of new knowledge.

Rainfall and long-term water availability in a region before a woman becomes pregnant and during pregnancy predicted future growth outcomes of children in Uganda, according to new research led by a team from the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and the Penn State College of Medicine. Environmental factors influence the availability of food, which, in turn, can affect a woman’s nutritional status before and during pregnancy. If a mother doesn’t eat enough or is under-nourished, the effect can be passed on to her child — the child may be born at a low birth weight or experience growth faltering.