news: ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Monday, December 28, 2009

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Monday, December 28, 2009

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Women tend to have better sense of touch due to smaller finger size (December 28, 2009) -- People who have smaller fingers have a finer sense of touch, according to new research. This finding explains why women tend to have better tactile acuity than men, because women on average have smaller fingers. ... > full story

High-blood-pressure treatment for the over-80s too aggressive, warns expert (December 28, 2009) -- People over 80 years are being treated too aggressively for high blood pressure, warns an expert. ... > full story

Spider Mite Predators Serve As Biological Control (December 28, 2009) -- The control of spider mites, which damage tree leaves, reduce fruit quality and cost growers millions of dollars in the use of pesticide and oil spraying, is being biologically controlled in Pennsylvania apple orchards with two tiny insects known to be natural predators. ... > full story

Drug for Alzheimer's disease does not appear to slow cognitive decline (December 28, 2009) -- Although there were promising results in a phase 2 trial, patients with mild Alzheimer disease who received the drug tarenflurbil as part of a phase 3 trial did not have better outcomes on measures of cognitive decline or loss of activities of daily living compared to patients who received placebo, according to a new study. ... > full story

How can evolutionary responses to climate change be measured? (December 28, 2009) -- As global temperatures continue to rise, scientists are presented with the complex challenge of understanding how species respond and adapt. ... > full story

Physician-assisted suicide: A perspective from advocates for people with disability (December 28, 2009) -- Although public opinion in the US on physician-assisted suicide is evenly divided, about half of states have either defeated bills to legalize assisted suicide or have passed laws explicitly banning it and only two states have legalized it. "A Disability Perspective on the Issue of Physician-Assisted Suicide," a special issue of Disability and Health Journal, examines the issues related to assisted suicide and disability, the legal considerations and the Oregon and Washington experiences. ... > full story

Orchids' sexual trickery explained: Leads to more efficient pollinating system (December 28, 2009) -- A new study reveals the reason why orchids use sexual trickery to lure insect pollinators. The study finds that sexual deception in orchids leads to a more efficient pollinating system. ... > full story

Modifying Neural Stem Cells Improves Their Therapeutic Efficacy (December 28, 2009) -- Stem cells isolated from the brain of adult mice (adult neural stem cells [aNSCs]) have shown very modest therapeutic effects in a mouse model of the chronic inflammatory neurodegenerative disease multiple sclerosis. But now, researchers have developed an approach to enhance the therapeutic effects of aNSCs in this model of multiple sclerosis, something that they hope might increase the chance that aNSC-based therapies might one day be developed for clinical use. ... > full story

Phragmites partners with microbes to plot native plants' demise (December 28, 2009) -- Researchers have uncovered a novel means of conquest employed by the common reed, Phragmites australis, which ranks as one of the world's most invasive plants. ... > full story

Antibiotic unsuccessful in preventing preterm labor (December 28, 2009) -- Scientists have found that an antibiotic, currently used to treat infections linked to incidences of premature births, does not help reduce the risk of preterm labor. ... > full story

Wet Ethanol Production Process Yields More Ethanol And More Co-products (December 28, 2009) -- Using a wet ethanol production method that begins by soaking corn kernels rather than grinding them, results in more gallons of ethanol and more usable co-products, giving ethanol producers a bigger bang for their buck -- by about 20 percent. ... > full story

How Differing Asian Cultures And Attitudes Impact Cancer Screening Rates (December 28, 2009) -- Asian-Americans have higher instances of certain types of cancer, yet screening rates remain dismal. A new study calls for culturally sensitive materials to stress the importance of early screening, to help close the disparity. ... > full story

Synesthetic experiences, such as seeing a certain color associated with a number, are real and automatic (December 27, 2009) -- For as many as 1 in 20 people, everyday experiences can elicit extra-ordinary associated sensations. The condition is known as synesthesia and the most common form involves "seeing" colors when reading words and numbers. ... > full story

Secrets of the Brain: Researchers decipher parts of the neuronal code (December 27, 2009) -- The human brain works at a far higher level of complexity than previously thought. What has been given little attention up to now in the information processing of neuronal circuits has been the time factor. "Liquid computing" -- a new theory about how these complex networks of nerve cells actually work -- has just passed its first test. ... > full story

Helping vegetable plants make a less stressful transition from the greenhouse to the field (December 27, 2009) -- Plant physiologists have been investigating ways to help vegetable plants make a less stressful transition from the greenhouse to the field. ... > full story

Targeted therapy prolongs life in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer (December 27, 2009) -- Lapatinib plus trastuzumab are significantly better than lapatinib alone in extending the lives of breast cancer patients whose tumors are HER2-positive, according to new research. ... > full story

Microscopic gyroscopes, the key for motion sensing (December 27, 2009) -- Tiny devices made possible by combining the latest advances in mechanical and electronics technology could be at the heart of next-generation personal navigation and vehicle stabilization tools. ... > full story

Happy Flies Look For A Place Like Home (December 27, 2009) -- A happy youth can influence where a fruit fly chooses to live as an adult, according to new research. The study provides new insight into how animals choose places to live and raise their young. ... > full story

Glacier melt adds ancient edibles to marine buffet (December 27, 2009) -- Glaciers along the Gulf of Alaska are enriching stream and near shore marine ecosystems from a surprising source -- ancient carbon contained in glacial runoff. ... > full story

Rise in drug resistance of dangerous infection in US hospitals (December 27, 2009) -- A new study reports a surge in drug-resistant strains of Acinetobacter, a dangerous type of bacteria that is becoming increasingly common in US hospitals. ... > full story

Milk thistle herb protects cancer patients from chemotherapy-associated liver toxicity (December 27, 2009) -- A new study finds that the herb milk thistle may help treat liver inflammation in cancer patients who receive chemotherapy. The study indicates that the herb could allow patients to take potent doses of chemotherapy without damaging their liver. ... > full story

'Garbage disposal' role of VCP and implications for degenerative disease (December 27, 2009) -- New research reveals how a mutant ATPase blocks autophagy partway through to cause a multi-tissue degenerative disease. ... > full story

An easy way to see the world's thinnest material (December 27, 2009) -- Scientists have used the dye fluorescein to create a new imaging technique to view graphene. ... > full story

Structured reporting software creates less complete and accurate radiology reports than free text (December 27, 2009) -- As many software companies work to create programs that will give uniform structure to the way radiological test results are reported, a new study shows that such a system does not improve, but rather decreases the completeness and accuracy of the reports. ... > full story

Exposure to young triggers new neuron creation in females exhibiting maternal behavior (December 27, 2009) -- Maternal behavior itself can trigger the development of new neurons in the maternal brain independent of whether the female was pregnant or has nursed, according to a new study. The study was performed in adult, virgin rats. ... > full story

Physician urges changes in diagnosis for sore throat in young adults (December 27, 2009) -- New analysis suggests that physicians need to re-think their diagnosis and treatment of sore throat, or pharyngitis, in adolescents and young adults to consider a more newly identified and potentially dangerous culprit as the source of that infection. ... > full story

New clues emerge for understanding morphine addiction (December 27, 2009) -- Scientists are adding additional brush strokes to the revolutionary new image now emerging for star-shaped cells called astrocytes in the brain and spinal cord. Their report suggests a key role for astrocytes in morphine's ability to relieve pain and cause addiction. ... > full story

Researchers find evidence of survival gains in bone marrow disease (December 27, 2009) -- Scientists demonstrate new survival data for the blood disorder myelofibrosis. This retrospective study is the largest ever conducted in young patients with primary myelofibrosis. ... > full story

Flowering powers genetic understanding (December 27, 2009) -- New research on how plants adapt their flowering to climate is also helping to unravel some of the mysteries of how genes are controlled. Studies on a gene in Arabidopsis that controls flowering time are providing potential roles for non-coding RNA. ... > full story

Iranian Scholars Share Avicenna's Medieval Medical Wisdom (December 27, 2009) -- For pulmonary ailments, certain medieval physicians had a useful medical textbook on hand offering detailed information remarkably similar to those a modern doctor might use today. ... > full story

Vampires and collisions rejuvenate stars (December 26, 2009) -- Using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have uncovered two distinct kinds of "rejuvenated" stars in the globular cluster Messier 30. A new study shows that both stellar collisions and a process sometimes called vampirism are behind this cosmic "face lift." The scientists also uncover evidence that both sorts of blue stragglers were produced during a critical dynamical event (known as "core collapse") that occurred in Messier 30 a few billion years ago. ... > full story

Further progress toward AIDS vaccine: Rabies-virus vaccine protects monkeys (December 26, 2009) -- Researchers are one step closer to developing a vaccine against the AIDS disease. They have found that a rabies virus-based vaccine administered to monkeys protected against the simian equivalent of the HIV virus (SIV). ... > full story

How the daisy got its spot: Insect mimicry (December 26, 2009) -- Dark spots on flower petals are common across many angiosperm plant families and occur on flowers such as some lilies, orchids, and daisies. Much research has been done on the physiological and behavioral mechanisms for how these spots attract pollinators. But have you ever wondered what these spots are composed of, how they develop, or how they only appear on some but not all of the ray florets? ... > full story

Physical activity associated with lower risk of mortality in men with history of colon cancer (December 26, 2009) -- Increased physical activity appears to be associated with a lower risk of cancer-specific and overall death in men with a history of colorectal cancer that has not spread to other parts of the body, according to a new study. ... > full story

Magnetic field measurements of the human heart at room temperature (December 26, 2009) -- A new optical sensor was successfully tested in the "magnetically best shielded room on Earth." The sensor does not need advanced cooling and is very small. Its suitability was proven for biomagnetic measurements in the picotesla range. So, magnetocardiographic measurement devices -- to be used as a supplement or an alternative to the ECG -- could become simpler and less expensive. ... > full story

Calorie restriction: Scientists take important step toward 'fountain of youth' (December 26, 2009) -- Going back for a second dessert after your holiday meal might not be the best strategy for living a long, cancer-free life say researchers. That's because they've shown exactly how restricted calorie diets -- specifically in the form of restricted glucose -- help human cells live longer. ... > full story

Genomic toggle switches divide autoimmune diseases into distinct clusters (December 26, 2009) -- Genomic switches can predispose an individual to one set of autoimmune disorders but protect the same person against another set of them, scientists have found. ... > full story

Tourists in Antarctica cause of major concern (December 26, 2009) -- The 40,000 'eco-tourists' who visit the South Pole every year cause enormous greenhouse gas emissions. The visitors to the snow-covered landmass are endangering not just the Antarctic region by their actions, but also the rest of the world. Scientists have investigated the impacts of increased tourism on Antarctica and how this impact could be curbed. ... > full story

Signaling decreases blood pressure, study finds (December 26, 2009) -- Blood pressure is controlled in part by changes in the radius of blood vessels; when the smooth muscle cells in the wall of a blood vessel contract, the radius of the blood vessel decreases and blood pressure increases. Researchers have now identified in mice a new signaling pathway that contributes to relaxation of smooth muscle cells in blood vessel walls triggered by the molecule NO and thereby decreases blood pressure. ... > full story

Certain genes boost chances for distributing variety of traits, drive evolution (December 26, 2009) -- Genes that don't themselves directly affect the inherited characteristics of an organism but leave them increasingly open to variation may be a significant driving force of evolution, say scientists. ... > full story

Do consumers always approach pleasure and avoid pain? New study suggests an alternative (December 26, 2009) -- Whether it's doing sit-ups or eating steamed veggies instead of fries, it's often difficult to get ourselves to do something we know is beneficial. A new study says we can trick ourselves into more favorable evaluations of certain products and behaviors. ... > full story

The past matters to plants (December 26, 2009) -- It's commonly known that plants interact with each other on an everyday basis: they shade each other out or take up nutrients from the soil before neighboring plants can get them. Now, researchers have learned that plants also respond to the past. ... > full story

Antibody-guided drug shows encouraging activity in metastatic breast cancer (December 26, 2009) -- A new antibody-drug compound shrank or halted the growth of metastatic breast tumors in almost half of a group of patients whose HER2-positive cancer had become resistant to standard therapies, according to early data. ... > full story

New warning system warns of driver drowsiness and distraction (December 26, 2009) -- Scientists have developed the latest version of a driving assistance system which controls the driver's attention level and helps to avoid accidents caused by drowsiness or distractions at the wheel. ... > full story

Bone control of glucose levels (December 26, 2009) -- Bone cells known as osteoblasts were recently shown to have a role in controlling the biochemical reactions that generate energy via secretion of the molecule osteocalcin. Researchers have now determined that the protein FoxO1 regulates this function of osteoblasts in mice. ... > full story

Low-cost temperature sensors: Tennis balls to monitor mountain snowpack (December 26, 2009) -- Dime-sized temperature sensors, first built for the refrigerated food industry, have been adapted to sense mountain microclimates. ... > full story

Who gets expensive cancer drugs? A tale of two nations (December 26, 2009) -- The well-worn notion that patients in the United States have unfettered access to the most expensive cancer drugs while the United Kingdom's nationalized health care system regularly denies access to some high-cost treatments needs rethinking, a team of bioethicists and health policy experts says in a new report. ... > full story

Sun and moon trigger deep tremors on San Andreas Fault (December 25, 2009) -- When the sun and moon are aligned with the San Andreas Fault they tug on it enough to increase the tremor rate deep underground, according to a new study. While these tremors have not yet been linked to earthquakes, the tremors are associated with increased stress on the fault and may increase the risk of future quakes. The ease with which the deep rock slips indicates it is lubricated by high-pressure water. ... > full story

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