The Pentagon's research arm is exploring the development of brain implants that might one day reverse memory loss from traumatic brain injuries, the signature wound of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The goal of the project, still in its early stages, is to develop game-changing technology that would bridge the gap in damaged parts of the brain that encode and retrieve memories. The device is envisioned as a wireless, implantable neuroprosthetic for patients with brain injuries and dysfunction.

On July 8, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced it had awarded several multi-million-dollar research grants. The project represents an entirely new approach as pharmaceuticals and other therapies have yet to reach a dramatic breakthrough in traumatic brain injuries and memory.

"We're trying to change the game on the options available to our military members when it comes to traumatic brain injuries, and come up with new therapies," said Justin Sanchez, the agency's Restoring Active Memory program manager. "We need new hardware, new devices that can interface with the brain, and we need to develop new computational models that allow clinicians to interface with the brain."

Milk difference?

There’s no significant nutritional differences between organic and regular milk, or in the health of cows on the two types of dairy farms, according to new research by Oregon State University and other academics.

Nearly 300 small dairy farms in Oregon, New York and Wisconsin participated in the study, funded by a $1 million grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Researchers also found that many organic and conventional dairies did not meet cattle welfare standards in three commonly used programs: the American Humane Association's Animal Welfare Standards for Dairy Cattle, Farmers Assuring Responsible Management, and the Canadian Codes of Practice.

"While there are differences in how cows are treated on organic farms, health outcomes are similar to conventional dairies," said Mike Gamroth, co-author of the study and professor emeritus in OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences. "Few dairies in this study performed well in formal criteria used to measure the health and well-being of cows."

Think gym safety

Before hitting the gym again, remember an important message: Make sure your body is ready to exercise.

New tips from experts at "Daily Burn" could help.

First, make sure to warm up properly as it is important to get muscles moving before actually beginning to exercise.

Also, keep in mind that training too long or too often may be detrimental.

That is because overworking your body could have a negative impact on hormones.
    

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.