ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Researchers identify brain network with mapping technique

Posted: 18 Jul 2014 06:50 PM PDT

A new image-based strategy has been used to identify and measure placebo effects in randomized clinical trials for brain disorders. The researchers used a network mapping technique to identify specific brain circuits underlying the response to sham surgery in Parkinson's disease patients.

New trigger for ovulation could make IVF safer

Posted: 18 Jul 2014 06:49 PM PDT

A new and potentially safer method to stimulate ovulation in women undergoing IVF treatment has been developed by researchers. Twelve babies have been born after their mothers were given an injection of the natural hormone kisspeptin to make their eggs mature. Doctors normally administer another hormone, hCG, for this purpose, but in some women, there is a risk that this can overstimulate the ovaries, with potentially life-threatening consequences.

Antipsychotic drugs linked to slight decrease in brain volume

Posted: 18 Jul 2014 02:20 PM PDT

A new study has confirmed a link between antipsychotic medication and a slight, but measureable, decrease in brain volume in patients with schizophrenia. For the first time, researchers have been able to examine whether this decrease is harmful for patients' cognitive function and symptoms, and noted that over a nine year follow-up, this decrease did not appear to have any effect.

Economic development not the only influence on personal car use

Posted: 18 Jul 2014 10:15 AM PDT

Although countries with high levels of economic development generally have more personal automobile travel than less-affluent nations, income is not the only factor that determines a nation's demand for cars, according to a new study.

Highly charged ions: Multiply-ionized atoms for clocks, qubits, and constants

Posted: 18 Jul 2014 10:15 AM PDT

Why can't neodymium be more like tin? Well it can, if you ionize it enough. Why strip atoms of a dozen or more electrons? To make them more amenable for use in atomic clocks and quantum computers.

Improving driver safety: How to prevent streetlight glare in the new world of LED lighting

Posted: 18 Jul 2014 10:15 AM PDT

As energy-efficient LED lighting becomes more common along roads, scientists are looking for ways to ensure the safety of drivers by assessing the eyestrain associated with glare from the new lights. Scientists report on a model that can predict the level of discomfort experienced by drivers under various lighting conditions -- which could, ultimately, guide streetlight placement and design.

Consuming probiotics for a month helps diminish fat accumulation in the liver, according to a new study

Posted: 18 Jul 2014 06:56 AM PDT

Scientists have demonstrated through an experiment on obese rats that the consumption of probiotics for thirty days helps diminish the accumulation of fat in the liver. This new findingis a step forward on the fight against Non-Alcolohic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), which is closely related to obesity and diabetes.

Future electronics may depend on lasers, not quartz

Posted: 17 Jul 2014 03:05 PM PDT

Nearly all electronics require devices called oscillators that create precise frequencies -- frequencies used to keep time in wristwatches or to transmit reliable signals to radios. For nearly a century, these oscillators have relied upon quartz crystals to provide a frequency reference, much like a tuning fork is used as a reference to tune a piano. A new approach could ultimately replace the quartz crystal frequency reference -- technology in use since the 1920s.