Most children are able to imagine their future selves as astronauts, politicians or even superheroes; however, many older adults find it difficult to recollect past events, let alone generate new ones. A new study reveals that the ability of older adults to form imaginary scenarios is linked to their ability to recall detailed memories.

  When a blood vessel clogs up, a localized deficiency of oxygen results, causing the surrounding tissue to die. However, working with mice, scientists have been able to prevent muscular tissue with severe hypoxia from dying. For the medical world, this discovery signifies an important step forward in limiting damage after a heart attack, for example, or for better preservation of organs awaiting transplants.

  Combining tenacity with taste, Agricultural Research Service scientists have bred three new blueberry cultivars that can take the heat of growing in the South while offering high yields of plump, phytonutrient-rich fruit.

  A specific enzyme can be detected in large quantities in lung cancers even when the cancer has not yet developed. Thus this molecule would serve as a good marker in the diagnosis and prognosis of the disease. The research is of great interest for potential future therapeutic applications as well.

  In order to increase productivity, forest practices have become more intense in recent decades. Forest fertilization increased by 800% in the southeastern United States from 1990 to 1999, and the total acreage fertilized in the Southeast exceeds the forest area fertilized in the rest of the world. This has generated concern that intensive forest practices, including fertilization, may negatively impact water quality in forest streams.

  Black patients are significantly less likely than their white counterparts to receive therapy for various kinds of cancer, despite recent efforts to close gaps in treatment. The findings suggest that there has been little improvement in the overall proportion of Medicare beneficiaries receiving cancer care. They also reveal that racial disparities have not lessened.

  Some secrets of the beauty of a diamond can be uncovered by a mathematical analysis of its microscopic crystal structure. This structure has some very special, and especially symmetric, properties. Out of an infinite universe of mathematical crystals, only one other, the "K4crystal", shares these properties with the diamond. It is not known whether the K4crystal exists in nature or could be synthesized.

  A new comparison of normal stem cells and cancer stem cells reveals that the cancer stem cells are abnormally trapped at an early stage of development. The research significantly advances the understanding of glioma pathophysiology and provides new directions for design of therapeutic strategies that are targeted to specific types of tumors.

  New research links depression to loss of the sense of smell, suggesting that the blues may have biological roots. "Our scientific findings suggest that women who are depressed are also losing their sense of smell, and may overcompensate by using more perfume,"according to one of the researchers.

  Experts are warning policy makers that allergic disease might replace infectious disease as a major. New research tracking the number of cases of childhood eczema across the globe has revealed big changes in the prevalence of the condition over the last five to ten years and suggests that environmental factors could be having a significant impact.

  A mysterious and unpredictable group of side effects from modern medications called idiosyncratic drug reactions likely will persist as a major health care problem unless there is a dramatic increase in research funding, according to a 20-year review of research in the field.

  Teen girls who perceive themselves as being lower on the social ladder appear more likely to gain weight over the subsequent two years, according to a new report. Between 1999 and 2004, the percentage of American teen girls classified as overweight increased from 14 percent to 16 percent, according to background information in the article.

  Four years ago, NASA's Stardust spacecraft chased down a comet and collected grains of dust blowing off its nucleus. When the spacecraft Comet Wild-2 returned, comet dust was shipped to scientists all over the world, including University of Minnesota physics professor Bob Pepin. After testing helium and neon trapped in the dust specks, Pepin and his colleagues report that while the comet formed in the icy fringes of the solar system, the dust appears to have been born close to the infant sun.

  Scientists have used magnetic fields and tiny iron-bearing particles to drive healthy cells to targeted sites in blood vessels. The research, done in animals, may lead to a new method of delivering cells and genes to repair injured or diseased organs in people.