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168,100 articles from ScienceDaily

Bend or stretch? How stressful is hyperflexion of horses' necks?

Arguments over how best to train horses have raged for centuries.  Two years ago, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) was even moved to ban the practice of hyperflexion as a result of a petition signed by over 40,000 people claiming that it caused the animals unnecessary discomfort.  The FEI did make a distinction between hyperflexion by the use of extreme force and what it termed...

Classifying neural circuit dysfunctions using neuroeconomics

The traditional approach to psychiatric diagnosis is based on grouping patients on the basis of symptom clusters. This approach to diagnosis has a number of problems, as symptoms are not necessarily specific to a single diagnosis. Symptoms may vary among patients with a particular diagnosis, and there are no clear diagnostic biomarkers or tests for psychiatry as there are for other areas of...

Like an orchestra without a conductor: Technology achieves synchronicity by itself

Is it possible to sound all the church bells across the country at precisely the same time, without one central agent setting the rhythm? Indeed, it is. Future technologies, such as decentralized control mechanisms for motor vehicle traffic or robot swarms, will increasingly come to rely on the ability to function in a similarly synchronous manner. Researchers have now developed a new method of...


MONDAY 23. JULY 2012


Boosting new memories with wakeful resting

Too often our memory starts acting like a particularly porous sieve: All the important fragments that should be caught and preserved somehow just disappear. So armed with pencils and bolstered by caffeine, legions of adults, especially older adults, tackle crossword puzzles, acrostics, Sudoku and a host of other activities designed to strengthen their flagging memory...

Strobe eyewear training improves visual memory

Participants in a new study engaged in physical activities, such as playing catch, while using either specialized eyewear that limits vision to only brief snapshots or while using eyewear with clear lenses that provides uninterrupted vision. There was an observed boost in their visual memory retention that was found to still be active 24 hours...

Trial signals major milestone in hunt for new TB drugs

A novel approach to discover the first new tuberculosis (TB) combination drug regimen cleared a major hurdle when Phase II clinical trial results found it could kill more than 99 percent of patients' TB bacteria within two weeks and could be more effective than existing treatments, according to a new study. These results add to a growing body of evidence that the new regimen could reduce treatment...

Social deprivation has a measurable effect on brain growth

Social deprivation has a measurable effect on a child's brain growth. MRI scans show decreased grey and white matter among children in institutional care. At least eight million children worldwide live in institutional settings, according to UNICEF, exposing them to severe psychological and physical...

New oat variety developed

Plant breeders have announced a new high-yielding variety of oats. Named Graham, the new variety grows to medium height, withstands falling over (lodging), matures earlier and produces more seed than comparable varieties.