Public Release: 27-Oct-2008
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Sea urchin yields a key secret of biomineralization
The teeth and bones of mammals, the protective shells of mollusks, and the needle-sharp spines of sea urchins and other marine creatures are made-from-scratch wonders of nature.
National Science Foundation, US Department of Energy
Contact: Pupa Gilbert
pupa@physics.wisc.edu
608-262-5829
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Public Release: 27-Oct-2008
Neuropsychologia
Are you phonagnosic?
The first known case of someone born without the ability to recognize voices has been reported in a paper by UCL researchers, in a study of a rare condition known as phonagnosia. The UCL team are calling for other people to come forward if they think they have also grown up with the condition.
Economic and Social Research Council
Contact: Jenny Gimpel
j.gimpel@ucl.ac.uk
44-020-767-99726
University College London
Public Release: 27-Oct-2008
Nature
Scientists unveil mechanism for 'up and down' in plants
VIB researchers at Ghent University discovered how the transport of an important plant hormone is organized in a way that the plant knows in which direction its roots and leaves have to grow. They discovered how the needed transport protein turns up at the underside of plant cells. The discovery helps us to understand how plants grow, and how they organize themselves in order to grow. The scientific journal Nature published the news in advance on its Web site.
Contact: Pieter Van Dooren
pieter.vandooren@vib.be
329-244-6611
VIB (the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology)
Public Release: 27-Oct-2008
Biological Psychiatry
Glutamate: Too much of a good thing in schizophrenia?
The study by Karlsson and colleagues, appearing in the Nov. 1 issue of Biological Psychiatry, reinforces this point with new data about the impact of deleting the gene for the glutamate transporter EAAT1.
Contact: Jayne Dawkins
ja.dawkins@elsevier.com
215-239-3674
Elsevier
Public Release: 27-Oct-2008
Astrophysical Journal
Solar system's young twin has 2 asteroid belts
Astronomers have discovered that the nearby star Epsilon Eridani has two rocky asteroid belts and an outer icy ring, making it a triple-ring system. The inner asteroid belt is a virtual twin of the belt in our solar system, while the outer asteroid belt holds 20 times more material. Moreover, the presence of these three rings of material implies that unseen planets confine and shape them.
Contact: Christine Pulliam
cpulliam@cfa.harvard.edu
617-495-7463
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Public Release: 27-Oct-2008
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
Healing process found to backfire in lung patients
A mechanism in the body which typically helps a person heal from an injury, may actually be causing patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis to get worse, researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a part of the National Institutes of Health, and their collaborators have found.
NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Contact: Robin Mackar
rmackar@niehs.nih.gov
919-541-0073
NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Public Release: 27-Oct-2008
Pain
Pain automatically activates facial muscle groups
All individuals have a nonverbal mode of communication influenced by culture, education, age and sex, according to a new joint study from the Université de Montréal, the Université libre de Bruxelles and the Université Otto-Friedrich in Bamberg, Germany.
Contact: Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins
sylvain-jacques.desjardins@umontreal.ca
514-343-7593
University of Montreal
Public Release: 27-Oct-2008
Pregnant women consuming flaxseed oil have high risk of premature birth
The risks of a premature birth quadruple if flaxseed oil is consumed in the last two trimesters of pregnancy, according to a new study from the Université de Montréal and the Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center.
Contact: Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins
sylvain-jacques.desjardins@umontreal.ca
514-343-7593
University of Montreal
Public Release: 27-Oct-2008
Perception
A face by any other name: Seeing racial bias
If Barack Obama had taken his mother's surname and kept his childhood nickname, American voters might literally see "Barry Dunham" as a quite different presidential candidate, a new study suggests. A name significantly changes our perception of someone's face and race, according to research in the journal Perception.
Australian Research Council
Contact: Kirin Hilliar
khilliar@psy.unsw.edu.au
61-405-368-648
University of New South Wales
Public Release: 27-Oct-2008
Psychological Science
When you look at a face, you look nose first
While general wisdom says that you look at the eyes first in order to recognize a face, UC San Diego computer scientists now report that you look at the nose first. The nose may be the where the information about the face is balanced in all directions, or the optimal viewing position for face recognition, the researchers from UC San Diego's Jacobs School of Engineering propose in a paper recently published in Psychological Science.
National Science Foundation, NIH/National Institute of Mental Health
Contact: Daniel Kane
dbkane@ucsd.edu
858-534-3262
University of California - San Diego
Proto-humans mastered fire 790,000 years ago
The charred remains of flint from prehistoric firesides suggest that our ancestors were creating fires long before modern humans
16:32 27 October 2008
Biblical 'Solomon's mines' confirmed by dating
Carbon dating has determined that large Jordanian copper works are 3000 years old, supporting the idea that they were the Biblical mines of Edom
22:00 27 October 2008
Public Release: 28-Oct-2008
CHEST 2008
'Old blood' linked to infection
New research presented at CHEST 2008 found that patients who received transfusions with blood stored for 29 days or more were twice as likely to suffer from nosocomial infections, including pneumonia, upper respiratory infections and sepsis, with the oldest blood being associated with the most infections. Currently, federal regulations allow red blood cells to be stored up to 42 days, after which they must be discarded.
Contact: Jennifer Stawarz
jstawarz@chestnet.org
847-498-8306
American College of Chest Physicians
Public Release: 28-Oct-2008
CHEST 2008
Anti-seizure drug could be fatal
New research presented at CHEST 2008 shows that patients treated for their prolonged seizures with the sedative propofol may be at high risk for complications and even death.
Contact: Jennifer Stawarz
jstawarz@chestnet.org
847-498-8306
American College of Chest Physicians
Public Release: 28-Oct-2008
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Statin use associated with reduction in prostate specific antigen levels
Use of cholesterol-lowering statins is associated with a statistically significant decline in prostate specific antigen levels, according to a report in the Oct. 28 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Contact: Liz Savage
jncimedia@oxfordjournals.org
301-841-1287
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Public Release: 28-Oct-2008
48th Annual ICAAC/IDSA 46th Annual Meeting
Pneumococcal vaccine could prevent numerous deaths, save costs during a flu pandemic, model predicts
A new predictive model shows that vaccinating infants with 7 valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine -- the current recommendation--not only saves lives and money during a normal flu season by preventing related bacterial infections; it also would prevent more than 357,000 deaths during an influenza pandemic, while saving $7 billion in costs.
Wyeth Research
Contact: Holly Korschun
hkorsch@emory.edu
404-727-3990
Emory University
Public Release: 28-Oct-2008
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Psychological study reveals that red enhances men's attraction to women
A groundbreaking study by two University of Rochester psychologists to be published online Oct. 28 by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology adds color -- literally and figuratively -- to the age-old question of what attracts men to women.
Contact: Susan Hagen
susan.hagen@rochester.edu
585-276-4061
University of Rochester
Public Release: 28-Oct-2008
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
New cell division mechanism discovered
A novel cell division mechanism has been discovered in a microorganism that thrives in hot acid. The finding may also result in insights into key processes in human cells, and in a better understanding of the main evolutionary lineages of life on Earth. The study is published today in the online version the American National Academy of Sciences journal, PNAS.
Contact: Rolf Bernander
rolf.bernander@ebc.uu.se
46-018-471-4698
Uppsala University
Public Release: 28-Oct-2008
PLoS ONE
Brain's 'hate circuit' identified
People who view pictures of someone they hate display activity in distinct areas of the brain that, together, may be thought of as a "hate circuit," according to new research by scientists at University College London.
Wellcome Trust
Contact: Ruth Metcalfe
r.metcalfe@ucl.ac.uk
44-020-767-99739
University College London
Public Release: 28-Oct-2008
American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting
Geisinger research: Anti-malarial drug prevents diabetes in arthritis patients
New Geisinger research sheds light on how an antimalarial drug may prevent the onset of diabetes in some high risk patients.
Contact: Justin Walden
jawalden@geisinger.edu
570-271-8083
Geisinger Health System
Public Release: 28-Oct-2008
2008 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress
Octogenarians can be good candidates for heart surgery
Patients 80 years and older who are in overall good health are perfectly able to withstand open-heart surgery, according to the latest study of Dr. Kevin Lachapelle of the McGill University Health Center. His findings were presented this morning in Toronto during the 2008 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress.
Contact: Isabelle Kling
isabelle.kling@muhc.mcgill.ca
514-843-1560
McGill University Health Centre
Basics
The Unappreciated, Holding Our Lives in Balance
The vestibular system is a Joe Sixth-Sense, laboring in anonymity and frequently misunderstood.
By NATALIE ANGIER
The Mysterious Cough, Caught on Film
Schlieren photography captures the invisible, like heat and coughs, on film.
* Photographs Slide Show: Seeing the Invisible
By DENISE GRADY
NASA Probe Shows Mercury More Dynamic Than Thought
New images from NASA’s Messenger indicate that Mercury is more interesting than some astronomers had thought, and experienced a lot of volcanic activity.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Phoenicians Left Deep Genetic Mark, Study Shows
New research suggests that as many as 1 in 17 men living today on the coasts of North Africa and southern Europe may have a Phoenician direct male-line ancestor.
By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD
Public Release: 29-Oct-2008
PNAS
Researchers find new chemical key that could unlock hundreds of new antibiotics
Chemistry researchers at the University of Warwick and the John Innes Center, have found a novel signalling molecule that could be a key that will open up hundreds of new antibiotics unlocking them from the DNA of the Streptomyces family of bacteria.
Contact: Professor Greg Challis
G.L.Challis@warwick.ac.uk
44-024-765-74024
University of Warwick
Public Release: 29-Oct-2008
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Predatory bacterial swarm uses rippling motion to reach prey
Like something from a horror movie, the swarm of bacteria ripples purposefully toward their prey, devours it and moves on. Researchers at the University of Iowa are studying this behavior in Myxococcus xanthus, a bacterium commonly found in soil, which preys on other bacteria.
National Institute of Health
Contact: Jennifer Brown
jennifer-l-brown@uiowa.edu
319-335-9917
University of Iowa
Public Release: 29-Oct-2008
Quarterly Review of Biology
The upside to allergies: cancer prevention
A new article in the December issue of the Quarterly Review of Biology provides strong evidence that allergies are much more than just an annoying immune malfunction. They may protect against certain types of cancer.
Contact: Kevin Stacey
kstacey@uchicago.edu
773-834-0386
University of Chicago Press Journals
Opal hints at persistence of water on Mars
The mineral, which needs water to form, is widespread in young Martian terrain – it might be a good target for future searches for life
17:15 29 October 2008
An iron will runs in the family
The mental toughness needed to bounce back and win in sport or pass exams, even when the chips are down, is largely inherited, reveals a study
18:07 29 October 2008
Newly Identified Fungus Implicated in White-Nose Syndrome in Bats: Mysterious Bat Disease Decimates Colonies in the Northeast
A previously undescribed, cold-loving fungus has been linked to white-nose syndrome, a condition associated with the deaths of over 100,000 hibernating bats in the northeastern United States. The findings are published in this week's issue of Science.
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
10/30/2008 1:00:00 PM
Public Release: 29-Oct-2008
2008 ACM Conference on Communications and Computer Security
A picture is worth a thousand locksmiths
UC San Diego computer scientists have built a software program that can perform key duplication without having the key. Instead, the computer scientists only need a photograph of the key.
Contact: Daniel Kane
dbkane@ucsd.edu
858-534-3262
University of California - San Diego
Public Release: 29-Oct-2008
Journal of Experimental Medicine
Interferon could be a key to preventing or treating multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis results when the body's own defense system attacks nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. Now scientists led by John Russell, Ph.D., at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that interferon-gamma plays a deciding role in whether immune cells attack and injure the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) in mice.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, NIH
Contact: Gwen Ericson
ericsong@wustl.edu
314-286-0141
Washington University School of Medicine
ScienceDaily
Real Robinson Crusoe: Evidence Of Alexander Selkirk’s Desert Island Campsite
Cast away on a desert island, surviving on what nature alone can provide, praying for rescue but fearing the sight of a boat on the horizon. These are the imaginative creations of Daniel Defoe in his famous novel Robinson Crusoe. Yet the story is believed to be based on the real-life experience of sailor Alexander Selkirk, marooned in 1704 on a small tropical island in the Pacific for more than four years, and now archaeological evidence has been found to support contemporary records of his existence on the island.
(Oct. 30, 2008)
Public Release: 30-Oct-2008
Lancet
Dramatic fall in number of malaria deaths along Kenyan coast
A study out today shows a dramatic fall in the number of people dying from malaria infection in coastal Kenya. The research, funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Kenya Medical Research Institute, highlights the importance of the prevention and rapid treatment of malaria infection in preventing a potential resurgence of the disease.
Wellcome Trust, Kenya Medical Research Institute
Contact: Craig Brierley
c.brierley@wellcome.ac.uk
44-207-611-7329
Wellcome Trust
Public Release: 30-Oct-2008
Lancet
Dramatic fall in malaria in the Gambia raises possibility of elimination in parts of Africa
The incidence of malaria has fallen significantly in the Gambia in the last 5 years, according to a study carried out by experts there with support from scientists based in London.
Contact: Lindsay Wright
lindsay.wright@lshtm.ac.uk
020-792-72802
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Public Release: 30-Oct-2008
PLoS ONE
Odor ID not disguised by diet
Reporting in the Oct. 31 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE, scientists from the Monell Center present behavioral and chemical findings to reveal that an individual's underlying odor signature remains detectable even in the face of major dietary changes. The findings indicate that biologically-based odorprints, like fingerprints, could be a reliable way to identify individual humans.
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Contact: Leslie Stein
stein@monell.org
267-519-4707
Monell Chemical Senses Center
Mud eruption 'caused by drilling'
The eruption of the Lusi mud volcano in Indonesia was caused by drilling for oil and gas, a meeting of 74 leading geologists has concluded.
By James Morgan Science & Environment reporter, BBC News
1 November 2008
Public Release: 30-Oct-2008
Study reveals marriage dowry as major cause of poverty in Bangladesh
More than 35 million people in Bangladesh, around a quarter of its population, face acute poverty and hunger. Dowry payments of more than 200 times the daily wage and costly medical expenses are major causes of this chronic poverty says research from the University of Bath.
International Food Policy Research Institute, Chronic Poverty Research Center
Contact: Vicky Just
v.j.just@bath.ac.uk
44-012-253-86883
University of Bath
Public Release: 30-Oct-2008
Psychological Science
Study shows difficult to read instructions decrease motivation
A new study from the University of Michigan shows that if directions for a task are presented in a difficult-to-read style, the task will be viewed as being difficult, taking a long time to complete and lead to decreased motivation for completing the task.
Contact: Barbara Isanski
bisanski@psychologicalscience.org
Association for Psychological Science
Public Release: 30-Oct-2008
Nutrition Reviews
Optimal dose of vitamin E maximizes benefits, minimizes risk
Excess vitamin E can promote bleeding by interfering with vitamin K. Nutrition researcher Maret Traber reviews some possible explanations.
Contact: Amy Molnar
journalnews@bos.blackwellpublishing.net
201-748-8844
Wiley-Blackwell
Public Release: 31-Oct-2008
Obstetrics and Gynecology
While prevalent, sexual problems in women not always associated with distress
The largest such study ever published finds that, while about 40 percent of women surveyed report having sexual problems, only 12 percent indicate that those issues are a source of significant personal distress. The report led by a Massachusetts General Hospital physician appears in the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Boehringer Ingelheim International
Contact: Sue McGreevey
smcgreevey@partners.org
617-724-2764
Massachusetts General Hospital
Public Release: 31-Oct-2008
Genes & Development
Crucial hormonal pathway to bone building uncovered
New study shows parathyroid hormone given intermittently enhances the body's own bone-building action through a specific "co-receptor" on the surface of bone cells. Previously, PTH was known to stimulate bone formation, but the exact mechanism was unknown.
Contact: Troy Goodman
tdgoodman@uab.edu
205-934-8938
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Public Release: 31-Oct-2008
'Opt out' system could solve donor organ shortage, says researcher
A system of presumed consent for organ donation -- where people have to opt out of donating their organs when they die -- is the best way to tackle a growing waiting list for transplant, says Dr. John Troyer, an expert in organ donation and the illegal trade of body parts, who has recently joined the University of Bath's Center for Death and Society.
RCUK
Contact: Vicky Just
v.j.just@bath.ac.uk
44-012-253-86883
University of Bath
Public Release: 31-Oct-2008
Marketing Science
Nations that launch: Where new technologies and products take-off
This week, researchers at Lehigh University and the University of Southern California released a study revealing the world's most innovative nations, based on the time it takes for new products to "takeoff." The report is among the largest of its kind and is based on 50 years worth of data. Sixteen product categories were analyzed, ranging from consumer electronics to household appliances.
Contact: Tom Yencho
tsy205@lehigh.edu
610-758-3172
Lehigh University
Public Release: 31-Oct-2008
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Patience during stalled labor can avoid many C-sections, UCSF study shows
Pregnant women whose labor stalls while in the active phase of childbirth can reduce health risks to themselves and their infants by waiting out the delivery process for an extra two hours, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco.
NIH/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Contact: Kristen Bole
kbole@pubaff.ucsf.edu
415-476-2557
University of California - San Francisco
Japanese quake was huge trampoline
Analysis of a big earthquake that hit Japan in June shows that it sent the ground speeding skywards
11:31 31 October 2008
Is cannabis being doped with Viagra?
The practice could enhance uptake of psychoactive constituents in marijuana or perhaps counter marijuana-induced loss of libido
14:15 31 October 2008
Dark matter may shine with invisible 'dark light'
Dark matter particles might interact with each other through a 'dark' electromagnetic force
17:31 31 October 2008
Public Release: 1-Nov-2008
Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery
ENT doctors release national guideline on treatment for common cause of dizziness
The American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation will issue a comprehensive clinical guideline to help healthcare practitioners identify and treat patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, one of the most common underlying conditions that cause dizziness. The guideline emphasizes evidence-based recommendations on managing BPPV, the most common vestibular (inner ear) disorder in adults.
Contact: Jessica Mikulski
newsroom@entnet.org
703-535-3762
American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery
Public Release: 1-Nov-2008
American Association for the Study of Liver Disease Annual Meeting
Mayo Clinic's new imaging technology accurately identifies a broad spectrum of liver disease
A new study shows that an imaging technology developed by Mayo Clinic researchers can identify liver fibrosis with high accuracy and help eliminate the need for liver biopsies. Liver fibrosis is a common condition that can lead to incurable cirrhosis if not treated in time.
Contact: Amy Tieder
newsbureau@mayo.edu
507-284-5005
Mayo Clinic