science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Τετάρτη 15 Μαΐου 2013

Science News SciGuru.com

Innovation in Spectroscopy Could Improve Greenhouse Gas Detection
New Software Spots, Isolates Cyber-Attacks to Protect Networked Control Systems
Trying to be Happier Works When Listening to Upbeat Music
Male Testosterone Levels Increase When Victorious in Competition Against Rivals, but Not Friends
Alzheimer’s markers predict start of mental decline
Using clay to grow bone

Innovation in Spectroscopy Could Improve Greenhouse Gas Detection

Posted: 14 May 2013 03:08 PM PDT

Detecting greenhouse gases in the atmosphere could soon become far easier with the help of an innovative technique* developed by a team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where scientists have overcome an issue preventing the effective use of lasers to rapidly scan samples.

The team, which recently published its findings in the journal Nature Photonics, says the technique also could work for other jobs that require gas detection, including the search for hidden explosives and monitoring chemical processes in industry and the environment.

New Software Spots, Isolates Cyber-Attacks to Protect Networked Control Systems

Posted: 14 May 2013 02:57 PM PDT

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a software algorithm that detects and isolates cyber-attacks on networked control systems – which are used to coordinate transportation, power and other infrastructure across the United States.

Networked control systems are essentially pathways that connect and coordinate activities between computers and physical devices. For example, the systems that connect temperature sensors, heating systems and user controls in modern buildings are networked control systems.

Trying to be Happier Works When Listening to Upbeat Music

Posted: 14 May 2013 02:49 PM PDT

The song, “Get Happy,” famously performed by Judy Garland, has encouraged people to improve their mood for decades. Recent research at the University of Missouri discovered that an individual can indeed successfully try to be happier, especially when cheery music aids the process. This research points to ways that people can actively improve their moods and corroborates earlier MU research.

Male Testosterone Levels Increase When Victorious in Competition Against Rivals, but Not Friends

Posted: 14 May 2013 02:44 PM PDT

Sporting events can bring a community together, such as when the Louisville Cardinals won the NCAA championship and University of Louisville campus was filled with camaraderie. They also can fuel bitter rivalries, such as the long-standing animosity between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs. A new University of Missouri study has found that testosterone levels during group competition are modulated depending on the relationships among the competitors and may be related to the formation of alliances in warfare.

Alzheimer’s markers predict start of mental decline

Posted: 14 May 2013 12:55 PM PDT

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have helped identify many of the biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease that could potentially predict which patients will develop the disorder later in life. Now, studying spinal fluid samples and health data from 201 research participants at the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, the researchers have shown the markers are accurate predictors of Alzheimer’s years before symptoms develop.

Using clay to grow bone

Posted: 14 May 2013 10:32 AM PDT

In new research published online May 13, 2013 in Advanced Materials, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) are the first to report that synthetic silicate nanoplatelets (also known as layered clay) can induce stem cells to become bone cells without the need of additional bone-inducing factors. Synthetic silicates are made up of simple or complex salts of silicic acids, and have been used extensively for various commercial and industrial applications, such as food additives, glass and ceramic filler materials, and anti-caking agents.