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66 articles from ScienceDaily

Smoldering spots in the brain may signal severe MS

Aided by a high-powered brain scanner and a 3D printer, researchers peered inside the brains of hundreds of multiple sclerosis patients and found that dark rimmed spots representing ongoing, 'smoldering' inflammation, called chronic active lesions, may be a hallmark of more aggressive and disabling forms of the disease.

Icebergs delay Southern Hemisphere future warming, study shows

Future warming can accelerate the disintegration of the West Antarctic ice sheet. A large fraction of the ice will enter the Southern Ocean in form of icebergs, which melt and provide a cooling and freshening effect to the warmer and denser ocean water. This process will increase the formation of sea-ice and shift winds and ocean currents. The overall effect is a slowdown in the magnitude of...

First cells may have emerged because building blocks of proteins stabilized membranes

Scientists have discovered that the building blocks of proteins can stabilize cell membranes. This finding may explain how the first cells emerged from the primordial soup billions of years ago: The protein building blocks could have stabilized cell membranes against salt and ions that were present in ancient oceans. In addition, membranes may have been a site for these precursor molecules to...

An alternate theory for what causes Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia among the elderly, is characterized by plaques and tangles in the brain, with most efforts at finding a cure focused on these abnormal structures. But a research team has identified alternate chemistry that could account for the various pathologies associated with the disease.

It's not you, it's the network

The result of the 2016 US presidential election was, for many, a surprise lesson in social perception bias -- peoples' tendency to assume that others think as we do, and to underestimate the size and influence of a minority party. Many psychologists attribute the source of these biases to faulty cognitive processes like 'wishful thinking' or 'social projection,' but according to a new study, the...

Researchers identify key mechanism linked to neuropsychiatric lupus

A breakthrough study has identified a specific antibody target implicated in neuropsychiatric symptoms of lupus. These symptoms, including cognitive impairment, mood disorders, seizures, headaches and psychosis, are among the most prevalent manifestations of the disease and occur in as many as 80% of adults and 95% of children with lupus.

Detention basins could catch more than stormwater

Everywhere you go there are stormwater detention basins built near large construction projects intended to control the flow of rainwater and runoff. Now, those basins might help in controlling nitrogen runoff into rivers and lakes, according to civil and environmental engineers.

Study finds older adults less distracted by negative information

USC researchers looked at 'emotion-induced blindness,' which refers to distractions caused by emotionally arousing stimuli. In four experiments using a quickly presented sequence of images, they examined how older adults prioritize emotional information. They found both younger and older adults demonstrated emotion-induced blindness, but older adults were more distracted by positive information...