My picks from ScienceDaily

Mother's Criticism Causes Distinctive Neural Activity Among Formerly Depressed:

Formerly depressed women show patterns of brain activity when they are criticized by their mothers that are distinctly different from the patterns shown by never depressed controls, according to a new study from Harvard University. The participants reported being completely well and fully recovered, yet their neural activity resembled that which has been observed in depressed individuals in other studies.

Police With Higher Multitasking Abilities Less Likely To Shoot Unarmed Persons:

In the midst of life-threatening situations requiring split-second decisions, police officers with a higher ability to multitask are less likely to shoot unarmed persons when feeling threatened during video simulations, a new Georgia State University study suggests.

'Matchmaker' Protein Maintains Neuronal Balance:

A protein identified by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine helps maintain a critical balance between two types of neurons, preventing motor dysfunction in mammals.

Neural Networks Help Unravel Complexity Of Self-awareness:

Researchers at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid's School of Computing have applied modular neural networks to model cognitive functions associated with awareness and time-delay neural networks to temporally model self-awareness.

From Stress To Financial Mess: Acute Stress Affects Financial Decision Making:

It is not surprising that as our economy continues its freefall, we are feeling increasingly more stressed and worried. Many of us are feeling extreme unease about the security of our jobs and being able to make our next mortgage payment. However, according to new a report in Psychological Science, stress could make our financial troubles even worse.

New Theory Of Autism Suggests Symptoms Or Disorder May Be Reversible:

Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have proposed a sweeping new theory of autism that suggests that the brains of people with autism are structurally normal but dysregulated, meaning symptoms of the disorder might be reversible.

Health Undervalued In Reproductive Rights Debate:

Women's health is increasingly undervalued in conflicts over reproductive rights, including clashes based on moral objections under so-called conscience clauses, a new study by a University of Illinois legal expert found.

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