ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

---

• Itch-specific Neurons Identified In Mice Offers Hope For Better Treatments
• Crystal Ball For Brain Cancer? New Method Predicts Which Brain Tumors Will Respond To Drug
• How To Manage Dental Erosion Caused By Everyday Beverages
• Tumor Mutations Can Predict Chemo Success
• Marine Microbes Creating Green Waves In Industry
• Males Of High Genetic Quality Are Not Very Successful At Fertilizing Eggs
• Surface Features On Titan Form Like Earth's, But With A Frigid Twist
• Bladder Cells Feel Stretch: Molecular Mechanism Of Sensing Fullness Of Urine Found
• Douglas-fir, Geoducks Make Strange Bedfellows In Studying Climate Change
• Antibody Linked To Chemotherapy Drug Inhibits Ovarian Cancer In Lab
• Chemical Separations: Membrane Breaks Through Performance Barrier
• Menopause: Botanicals Have No Effect On Hot Flashes Or Cognition, Study Suggests
• People With Lots Of Working Memory Are Not Easily Distracted
• Immune Responses To Flu Vaccine Are Diminished In Lupus Patients
• Heat Shock Proteins Provide Protection Against Cataracts
• Older Cancer Patients Have More Frailty Than Other Seniors
• Taking The Hard Work Out Of Software
• Overly Emotional Language May Be Counter-productive When Issuing Warnings About Pandemics And Hospital Infections

Itch-specific Neurons Identified In Mice Offers Hope For Better Treatments Posted: 08 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have discovered that itch-specific neurons exist in mice, and their studies suggest that itch and pain signals are transmitted along different pathways in the spinal cord. The researchers say they can knock out an animal's itch response without affecting its ability to sense pain.

Crystal Ball For Brain Cancer? New Method Predicts Which Brain Tumors Will Respond To Drug Posted: 08 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have uncovered a new way to scan brain tumors and predict which ones will be shrunk by the drug Avastin -- before the patient ever starts treatment. By linking high water movement in tumors to positive drug response, the scientists predicted with 70 percent accuracy which patients' tumors were the least likely to grow six months after therapy.

How To Manage Dental Erosion Caused By Everyday Beverages Posted: 08 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have outlined the acidic content of beverages, such as soda; lemon, grapefruit and orange juice; green and black tea; and revealed three steps to rehabilitate teeth that suffer from dental erosion as a result of the excessive consumption of these products.

Tumor Mutations Can Predict Chemo Success Posted: 08 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT Cancer biologists show that the interplay between two key genes that are often defective in tumors determines how cancer cells respond to chemotherapy. The findings should have an immediate impact on cancer treatment, according to researchers. The work could help doctors predict what types of chemotherapy will be effective in a particular tumor, which would help tailor treatments to each patient.

Marine Microbes Creating Green Waves In Industry Posted: 08 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT New technology designed to analyze large numbers of novel marine microbes could lead to more efficient and greener ways to manufacture new drugs for conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes, flu and other viruses, as well as improving the manufacture of other products such as agrochemicals.

Males Of High Genetic Quality Are Not Very Successful At Fertilizing Eggs Posted: 08 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT Contrary to predictions, males of high genetic quality are not very successful when it comes to fertilizing eggs. A new study on seed beetles shows that when a female mates with several males, the males of low genetic quality are the most successful in fertilizing eggs.

Surface Features On Titan Form Like Earth's, But With A Frigid Twist Posted: 08 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Saturn's haze-enshrouded moon Titan turns out to have much in common with Earth in the way that weather and geology shape its terrain, according to two new pieces of research. Wind, rain, volcanoes, tectonics and other Earth-like processes all sculpt features on Titan's complex and varied surface in an environment more than 100 °C colder on average than Antarctica.

Bladder Cells Feel Stretch: Molecular Mechanism Of Sensing Fullness Of Urine Found Posted: 08 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have found that bladder urothelial cells have a sensor for stretch stimulation.

Douglas-fir, Geoducks Make Strange Bedfellows In Studying Climate Change Posted: 08 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists are comparing annual growth rings of the Pacific Northwest's largest bivalve and its most iconic tree for clues to how living organisms may have responded to changes in climate.

Antibody Linked To Chemotherapy Drug Inhibits Ovarian Cancer In Lab Posted: 08 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT A novel anticancer agent, consisting of a monoclonal antibody linked to a chemotherapy drug, showed substantial anti-tumor activity in ovarian cancer cell lines and in mice, according to a new study.

Chemical Separations: Membrane Breaks Through Performance Barrier Posted: 08 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Engineers have developed a new method for creating high-performance membranes from crystal sieves called zeolites; the method could increase the energy efficiency of chemical separations up to 50 times over conventional methods and enable higher production rates.

Menopause: Botanicals Have No Effect On Hot Flashes Or Cognition, Study Suggests Posted: 08 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Two studies have found that commonly used botanicals, while safe, do not have an effect on hot flashes or on cognitive function in menopausal women.

People With Lots Of Working Memory Are Not Easily Distracted Posted: 08 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT "That blasted siren. I can't focus." That reaction to undesired distraction may signal a person's low working-memory capacity, according to a new study. Based on a study of 84 students divided into four separate experiments, researchers found that students with high memory storage capacity were clearly better able to ignore distractions and stay focused on their assigned tasks.

Immune Responses To Flu Vaccine Are Diminished In Lupus Patients Posted: 08 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Because morbidity and mortality related to influenza are increased in immunocompromised patients, such as patients with the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus, it is recommended that patients with SLE get annual flu shots, which are safe and do not increase disease activity. Both antibody and cell-mediated responses are involved in the immune response to influenza; in SLE, antibody responses to the vaccine are diminished, but it is not known if the same effect is seen in cell-mediated responses.

Heat Shock Proteins Provide Protection Against Cataracts Posted: 08 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Scientists have succeeded in explaining the 3-D molecular architecture of "chaperone" proteins that prevent aggregation and clumping of other proteins in the human eye lens, thus protecting against cataracts. Their findings shed new light on the work of these proteins and may be able to help in the development of new treatments.

Older Cancer Patients Have More Frailty Than Other Seniors Posted: 08 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Older people with a history of cancer are more likely to have disabilities and be frail and vulnerable than older adults who have not had cancer, according to a new study.

Taking The Hard Work Out Of Software Posted: 08 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Developing software is a complicated and laborious process. A new European platform automates much of the tricky building and testing phases of programming.

Overly Emotional Language May Be Counter-productive When Issuing Warnings About Pandemics And Hospital Infections Posted: 08 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Giving people a sense of being in control is an important element in health messages, according to researchers. The research looked at how language used in policy messages and media coverage affects the public perception of health threats. The report warns that lyrical and over-emotional language may be counter-productive when issuing warnings and advice about pandemics and hospital infections.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Latest Science News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610