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Science News for November 18, 2011


Walking through doorways causes forgetting, new research shows

Researchers suggest that passing through doorways impairs memory recall due to 'event boundaries,' which compartmentalize decisions made in different rooms. The study found subjects forgot more after walking through a doorway compared to moving across a room.

SourceUniversity of Notre Dame·JournalQuarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology·DateNov 18, 2011

Heart rate recovery predicts clinical worsening in pulmonary hypertension

A new study found that heart rate recovery at one minute after a six-minute walking distance test is highly predictive of clinical worsening and time to clinical worsening in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. Patients with low heart rate recovery were more likely to experience clinical worsening events and had s...

SourceAmerican Thoracic Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·DateNov 18, 2011

The protest vote prevails when a landslide victory is expected

Moderate voters tend to cast protest votes to express discontent, whereas extreme left and right voters rarely do. The study reveals that protest voters show their unhappiness by voting for a party further from their preference, aiming to influence the other party's direction.

SourceSpanish Foundation for Science and Technology·JournalPublic Choice·DateNov 18, 2011
GoPro HERO13 Black

GoPro HERO13 Black records stabilized 5.3K video for instrument deployments, field notes, and outreach, even in harsh weather and underwater conditions.

New NASA missions to investigate how Mars turned hostile

Two NASA missions aim to discover what transformed Mars from a potentially habitable planet to its current inhospitable state. The Curiosity rover and the MAVEN mission will explore Martian terrain, atmosphere, and geology to uncover clues about the Red Planet's past climate and potential for life.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateNov 18, 2011

Old drugs find new target for treating brain tumor

Scientists identified a novel gene mutation causing glioblastoma, a common type of malignant brain tumor. Two existing drugs targeting this mutation effectively prolonged the survival of mice, offering new hope for patients.

SourceUniversity of California - San Diego·JournalCancer Research·DateNov 18, 2011

Trainee earns prestigious emergency medicine research award

Alyssa Turner, a pediatric emergency department fellow, has been awarded the Willis Wingert Award for her platform presentation on the impact of ultrasound-guided femoral nerve blocks. Her research found that this technique improves pain control in children with femur fractures and reduces adverse effects.

SourceUniversity of Louisville·DateNov 18, 2011

A corny turn for biofuels from switchgrass

Researchers at Berkeley Lab introduce a maize gene to switchgrass, doubling starch content and making it easier to extract fermentable sugars. The results offer a promising new approach for improving dedicated bioenergy crops.

SourceDOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateNov 18, 2011
Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor tracks ventilation quality in labs, classrooms, and conference rooms with long battery life and clear e-ink readouts.

Tweaking a gene makes muscles twice as strong

Researchers have discovered a new way to build muscle by suppressing a natural inhibitor, resulting in mice and worms with super-strong muscles. This breakthrough could lead to treatments for age-related or genetics-related muscle degeneration, as well as applications for athletes and individuals with genetic muscular dystrophy.

SourceSalk Institute·JournalCell·DateNov 18, 2011

Great Plains river basins threatened by pumping of aquifers

Scientists warn that Great Plains river basins are under threat due to aquifer pumping, which has reduced suitable habitat for native fishes. The study found that only 57% of refuge pools would remain after 35 years under current circumstances.

SourceOregon State University·JournalEcohydrology·DateNov 18, 2011

GOES satellite eyeing late season lows for tropical development

The GOES-13 satellite is monitoring two low-pressure systems: System 90E in the eastern Pacific with a 40% chance of becoming a tropical depression, and an elongated system in the central Atlantic with a 10% chance of development. The satellite imagery shows clouds and showers near the centers of circulation for both systems.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateNov 18, 2011
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Metabolic syndrome biomarkers predict lung function impairment after exposure to WTC dust

Researchers found that dyslipidemia and elevated heart rate increased the risk of developing abnormal lung function, while elevated amylin levels reduced this risk. The study suggests that systemic inflammation may play a role in promoting lung function impairment after particulate exposure.

SourceAmerican Thoracic Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·DateNov 18, 2011

Protection from severe malaria explained

Researchers discovered that a degradation product of defective hemoglobin blocks the establishment of a trafficking system used by the malaria parasite, preventing circulatory disorders and neurological complications. The study provides new insights into the molecular mechanism behind the protective effect of sickle-cell anemia against...

SourceHeidelberg University Hospital·JournalScience·DateNov 18, 2011

Chalmers scientists create light from vacuum

Scientists at Chalmers University of Technology have succeeded in creating light from vacuum by capturing photons that appear and disappear in the vacuum. The experiment confirms a fundamental principle in quantum mechanics, demonstrating the existence of virtual particles that can become real photons.

SourceSwedish Research Council·JournalNature·DateNov 18, 2011

Enzymatic synthesis of pyrrolysine, the mysterious 22nd amino acid

Researchers at TUM elucidated the structure of PylB, an enzyme crucial for pyrrolysine biosynthesis. The discovery sheds light on how archaebacteria modify existing systems to create tailored amino acids with unique properties.

SourceTechnical University of Munich (TUM)·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateNov 18, 2011
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro) powers local ML workloads, large datasets, and multi-display analysis for field and lab teams.