ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Wednesday, October 20, 2010
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Old bees' memory fades; Mirrors recall of humans and other mammals (October 20, 2010) -- Humans aren't the only ones whose memory fades with age. Scientists examined how aging impacts the ability of honey bees to find their way home. While bees are typically impressive navigators, able to wend their way home through complex landscapes after visits to flowers far removed from their nests, aging impairs the bees' ability to extinguish the memory of an unsuitable nest site even after the colony has settled in a new home. ... > full story
Gene variant may protect against alcoholism (October 20, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered a gene variant that may protect against alcoholism. The variant, in a gene called CYP2E1, is associated with a person's response to alcohol. For the 10 to 20 percent of people that possess this variant, those first few drinks leave them feeling more inebriated than the rest of the human population, who harbor a different version of the gene. ... > full story
More than 200 new snails of the same genus described in a single study (October 20, 2010) -- Two world experts in micro mollusks have made an unprecedented description in a scientific publication of a combined total of 209 snail species. Commissioned by the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, the study was unveiled in September in the French capital, and it covers the most new species from a single genus of any study to date. ... > full story
Prostate cancer patients treated with robotic-assisted surgery can expect low recurrence of cancer (October 20, 2010) -- A first-ever, long-term study of patients who underwent robot-assisted surgery to remove their cancerous prostates found that nearly 87 percent of them had no recurrence of the disease after five years. ... > full story
Long distance, top secret messages: Critical component of quantum communication device may enable cryptography (October 20, 2010) -- When the military needs to send the key to encrypted data across the world, it can't necessarily rely on today's communication lines, where the message could be covertly intercepted. But physicists are developing a new, more secure way to send such information across far distances, using existing cables and the laws of quantum mechanics. ... > full story
Video games can be highly effective training tools, study shows: Employees learn more, forget less, master more skills (October 20, 2010) -- Long derided as mere entertainment, new research now shows that organizations using video games to train employees end up with smarter, more motivated workers who learn more and forget less. ... > full story
One-way Martian colonization missions: Proposal would cut costs dramatically, ensure long-term commitment (October 20, 2010) -- Would you sign on for a one-way flight to Mars? It's a question that gives pause to even a physicist and cosmologist who argue for precisely such a one-way manned mission to Mars in a new article. ... > full story
Genetic predisposition to certain skin cancers may be associated with vitamin D deficiency (October 20, 2010) -- Patients with basal cell nevus syndrome, which predisposes them to develop non-melanoma skin cancers, appear to be at increased risk for vitamin D deficiency if they take steps to protect themselves from sunlight, according to a new study. ... > full story
Protein highways keep tissues organized (October 20, 2010) -- Precise regulation of tissue architecture is critical for organ function. Single cells build up a tissue by communicating with their environment and with other cells, thereby receiving instructions on whether to divide, change shape or migrate. Researchers have now identified a mechanism by which skin cells organize their interior architecture as a response to signals from their surroundings. ... > full story
Fructose intolerance common in children with functional abdominal pain; Low-fructose diet is an effective treatment, study finds (October 20, 2010) -- Fructose intolerance, or fructose malabsorption, is common in children with recurrent or functional abdominal pain, but the condition can be effectively managed with a low-fructose diet, according to the results of a new study. Over half of patients who are fructose intolerant are able to maintain a low-fructose diet and are able to notice an immediate improvement in their symptoms. ... > full story
Study of tiny magnets may advance their use in microelectronics (October 20, 2010) -- Researchers in China have announced progress in understanding the single-molecule magnet, which combines the classical macroscale properties of a magnet with the quantum properties of a nanoscale entity. ... > full story
People are better at strategic reasoning than was thought, research shows (October 20, 2010) -- When we make decisions based on what we think someone else will do, we must use reason to infer the other's next move -- or next three or more moves -- to know what we must do. This so-called recursive reasoning ability in humans has been thought to be somewhat limited. But now, in new research, it appears that people can engage in much higher levels of recursive reasoning than was previously thought. ... > full story
Don't blame dairy cows for (greenhouse) gas emissions, new study shows (October 19, 2010) -- Forget all the tacky jokes about cow flatulence causing climate change. A new study reports that the dairy industry is responsible for only about 2.0 percent of all US greenhouse gas emissions. ... > full story
Parkinson's disease insights: Damage to control circuits in the brain responsible for habits (October 19, 2010) -- New research into Parkinson's disease suggests that many of the problems suffered by patients -- difficulties in initiating actions, slow labored movements and tremors -- can be understood in terms of damage to control circuits in the brain responsible for habits. ... > full story
Bioelectrical signals turn stem cells' progeny cancerous; Newly discovered 'instructor cells' can deliver deadly directions (October 19, 2010) -- Biologists have found that a change in membrane voltage in newly identified "instructor cells" can cause stem cells' descendants to trigger melanoma-like growth in pigment cells a considerable distance away. This metastatic transformation is due to changes in serotonin transport. Discovery of this novel bioelectric signal and cell type could help prevent and treat diseases like cancer and vitiligo as well as birth defects. ... > full story
Study reveals superior sedation method for children (October 19, 2010) -- Procedural sedation and analgesia is an essential element of care for children requiring painful procedures in the emergency department. New research provides evidence that when compared to ketamine alone, patients who receive a combination of ketamine and propofol have a slightly faster recovery time and suffer from less severe side effects. ... > full story
Making the Internet faster (October 19, 2010) -- Weaknesses in the architecture behind the Internet mean that surfing can sometimes lead to slow speeds and a tiresome wait for a video to load. Redeveloping the whole architecture of the Internet is an option recently discussed even by Internet pioneers. However, a group of European engineers decided to go the opposite way and to monitor traffic and tailor services to meet demand. ... > full story
'Drivel' on Facebook more valuable than we think (October 19, 2010) -- Superficial contacts on Facebook, apparently unnecessary comments, and banal status updates may be more worthwhile than we think. A new report predicts the new social media will ultimately lead to more individual entrepreneurs. ... > full story
Sniffing out shoe bombs: A new and simple sensor for explosive chemicals (October 19, 2010) -- Chemists have developed a simple sensor to detect an explosive used in shoe bombs. It could lead to inexpensive, easy-to-use devices for luggage and passenger screening at airports and elsewhere. The detector uses a printed array, smaller than a postage stamp, of pigments that change color in the presence of TATP. ... > full story
Gene activity in the brain depends on genetic background: Implications for individual differences in drug safety and efficacy (October 19, 2010) -- Researchers have found that the same genes have different activity patterns in the brain in individuals with different genetic backgrounds. These findings may help to explain individual differences in the effectiveness and side-effect profiles of therapeutic drugs and thus have implications for personalized medicine. ... > full story
Rotten experiments help to create picture of our early ancestors (October 19, 2010) -- An innovative experiment that involved studying rotting fish has helped to create a clearer picture of what our early ancestors would have looked like. The scientists wanted to examine the decaying process in order to understand the decomposition of soft-body parts in fish. This in turn will help them reconstruct an image of creatures that existed 500 million years ago. ... > full story
Prostate cancer patients are at increased risk of precancerous colon polyps (October 19, 2010) -- Men with prostate cancer should be especially diligent about having routine screening colonoscopies, results of a new study by gastroenterologists indicate. ... > full story
'Virtual satellite dish' thanks to lots of simple processors working together (October 19, 2010) -- Satellite TV without having to set up a receiver dish. Digital radio on your mobile phone without your batteries quickly running flat. The advanced calculations needed for these future applications are made possible by a microchip with relatively simple processors that can interact and communicate flexibly. ... > full story
Friends share personal details to strengthen relationships in United States, but not in Japan, study finds (October 19, 2010) -- In the United States, friends often share intimate details of their lives and problems. However, such self-disclosure is much less common in Japan. A new study by an American researcher living in Japan finds that this may be because of the different social systems in the two countries, and in particular the extent to which there are opportunities to make new friends. ... > full story
Drought may threaten much of globe within decades, analysis predicts (October 19, 2010) -- The United States and many other heavily populated countries face a growing threat of severe and prolonged drought. The analysis concludes that warming temperatures associated with climate change will likely create increasingly dry conditions across much of the globe in the next 30 years, possibly reaching a scale in some regions by the end of the century that has rarely, if ever, been observed in modern times. ... > full story
Inhaling nitric oxide eases pain crises in sickle cell patients, researchers find (October 19, 2010) -- Inhaling nitric oxide appears to safely and effectively reduce pain crises in adults with sickle cell disease, researchers report. A study of 18 patients in Atlanta, Chicago and Detroit showed that the nine inhaling nitric oxide for four hours had better pain control than those receiving only the standard self-administered morphine. ... > full story
New biological sensor detects and analyses DNA sequences (October 19, 2010) -- Researchers in Spain have created a new DNA-based biological sensor that has potential applications in the field of genetic diagnostics. The sensors are able to use logical rules to autonomously run logical inference processes on genetic input signals and reach accurate diagnoses. ... > full story
Osteoporosis drug builds bone in patients with gum disease (October 19, 2010) -- A drug marketed to grow bone in osteoporosis patients also works to heal bone wounds in gum disease patients, a new study suggests. ... > full story
The hair brush that reads your mind (October 19, 2010) -- One of the main techniques for measuring and monitoring mental activity, called functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), can often be impaired because a person's hair gets in the way. But now, thanks to a team of researchers, a novel device called a "brush optrode" is providing increased sensitivity with fiber tips designed to thread through hair to enhance scalp contact. ... > full story
Psychiatric illnesses before surgery associated with modest increased risk of death afterward, study finds (October 19, 2010) -- Individuals with co-occurring psychiatric illnesses, especially anxiety and depression, appear to have an increased risk of death within 30 days of surgery, according to a new study. ... > full story
Astronomers find weird, warm spot on an exoplanet (October 19, 2010) -- Observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope reveal a distant planet with a warm spot in the wrong place. The gas-giant planet, named upsilon Andromedae b, orbits tightly around its star, with one face perpetually boiling under the star's heat. It belongs to a class of planets termed hot Jupiters, so called for their scorching temperatures and large, gaseous constitutions. ... > full story
Vitamin B12 may reduce risk of Alzheimer's disease (October 19, 2010) -- A new study shows that vitamin B12 may protect against Alzheimer's disease, adding more evidence to the scientific debate about whether the vitamin is effective in reducing the risk of memory loss. ... > full story
Genomic comparison of ocean microbes reveals East-West divide in populations (October 19, 2010) -- Much as an anthropologist can study populations of people to learn about their physical attributes, their environs and social structures, some marine microbiologists read the genome of microbes to glean information about the microbes themselves, their environments and lifestyles. ... > full story
Analysis indicates a third H1N1 pandemic wave unlikely in 2010 (October 19, 2010) -- Analysis of H1N1 antibody levels (seroprotection rates) after the 2009 pandemic suggest that a third wave is unlikely in 2010, although adults over age 50, particularly those with chronic conditions, should be immunized for the fall flu season, states a research article. ... > full story
Plastic monitors itself (October 19, 2010) -- A new polymer-metal material that has sensory properties makes it possible to produce plastic component parts that monitor themselves. This material can be combined with various others and used in a variety of different ways. ... > full story
Scientists closer to grasping how the brain's 'hearing center' spurs responses to sound (October 19, 2010) -- Just as we visually map a room by spatially identifying the objects in it, we map our aural world based on the frequencies of sounds. The neurons within the brain's auditory cortex are organized into modules that each respond to sounds within a specific frequency band. But how responses actually emanate from this complex network of neurons is still a mystery. Scientists have come closer to unraveling this puzzle. ... > full story
Mutation over 100 million years ago led flowers to make male and female parts differently (October 19, 2010) -- Research by plant scientists has uncovered a snapshot of evolution in progress, by tracing how a gene mutation over 100 million years ago led flowers to make male and female parts in different ways. ... > full story
Treating cancer with light (October 19, 2010) -- Can skin cancer be treated with light? Scientists now believe so. They're exploring new ways to image cancerous lesions using LEDs that might advance a technique for treating cancer called photodynamic therapy (PDT). ... > full story
Breakthrough in nanocrystals growth (October 19, 2010) -- For the first time, scientists have been able to watch nanoparticles grow from the earliest stages of their formation. Nanoparticles are the foundation of nanotechnology and their performance depends on their structure, composition, and size. Researchers will now be able to develop ways to control conditions under which they are grown. The breakthrough will affect a wide range of applications including solar-cell technology and chemical and biological sensors. ... > full story
Fixing bad tasting infant drops when a 'spoonful of sugar' doesn't work (October 19, 2010) -- A spoonful of sugar is the traditional way to help medicines ‘go down’. But getting young children to take foul-tasting medicines – even if their lives depend on it – requires more than a bit of added sweetener. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), each year over eight million children die of diseases that could be avoided if essential medicines were available in appropriate formulations for children. ... > full story
Earth's deep water cycle needs revision, geophysicists claim (October 19, 2010) -- A popular view among geophysicists is that large amounts of water are carried from the oceans to the deep mantle in subduction zones -- boundaries where the Earth's crustal plates converge, with one plate riding over the other. But now a group of geophysicists present results that contradict this view. They compare seismic and experimental evidence to argue that subducting slabs do not carry water deeper than about 400 kilometers. ... > full story
Does clenching your muscles increase willpower? (October 19, 2010) -- The next time you feel your willpower slipping as you pass that mouth-watering dessert case, tighten your muscles. A new study says firming muscles can shore up self-control. ... > full story
No standard for the placebo? (October 19, 2010) -- Much of medicine is based on what is considered the strongest possible evidence: The placebo-controlled trial. A new study calls into question this foundation upon which much of medicine rests, by showing that there is no standard behind the standard -- no standard for the placebo. ... > full story
Magnets used to treat patients with severe depression (October 19, 2010) -- John O'Sullivan had struggled with bipolar depression since he was a teen. He has tried numerous types of psychotherapy and medication but nothing seemed to help for long. At age 50 and desperate, O'Sullivan was cautiously intrigued when his psychiatrist told him about a new high-tech, non-invasive therapy that uses magnetic waves to treat his condition. ... > full story
Study of Haiti quake yields surprising results (October 19, 2010) -- The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that caused more than 200,000 casualties and devastated Haiti's economy in January resulted not from the Enriquillo fault, as previously believed, but from slip on multiple faults -- primarily a previously unknown, subsurface fault -- according to a new study. ... > full story
Study documents wrong-site, wrong-patient procedure errors (October 19, 2010) -- Data from one liability insurance database in Colorado indicate that wrong-site and wrong-patient surgical and procedure errors continued to occur despite nationwide steps to help prevent them, according to a new study. ... > full story
Eyetracker warns against momentary driver drowsiness (October 19, 2010) -- Car drivers must be able to react quickly to hazards on the road at all times. Dashboard-mounted cameras help keep drivers alert. ... > full story
This is your brain on anesthesia: New light shed on how brain reacts during anesthetic induction and emergence (October 19, 2010) -- A new study strengthens emerging evidence that the act of going under anesthesia and coming out of anesthesia are distinct neurobiological processes. It also found that the parietal region of the brain may play a critical role in how anesthesia suppresses consciousness. ... > full story
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