Public Release: 8-Dec-2008
Psychological Science
Men are red, women are green, Brown researcher finds
Michael J. Tarr, professor of cognitive and linguistic sciences at Brown University, has discovered a difference in skin tone associated with gender. His paper, "Gender Recognition of Human Faces Using Color," is to be published online this week in the journal Psychological Science. It may have have wide implications for research and industry.
National Science Foundation
Contact: Mark Hollmer
Mark_Hollmer@brown.edu
401-863-1862
Brown University
Public Release: 8-Dec-2008
Archives of Internal Medicine
Half-dose flu shot appears to produce immune response in young, healthy adults
Individuals younger than 50 who have been previously vaccinated do not appear to have a substantially different immune response to a half-dose of influenza vaccine than to a full dose, according to a report in the Dec. 8/22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. This suggests that half-dose vaccination in healthy young individuals may be effective in times of vaccine shortage.
Contact: Walter Reed Army Medical Center
202-782-9351
JAMA and Archives Journals
Public Release: 8-Dec-2008
Archives of Internal Medicine
Mediterranean diet plus nuts may be helpful in managing metabolic syndrome
A traditional Mediterranean diet with an additional daily serving of mixed nuts appears to be useful for managing some metabolic abnormalities in older adults at high risk for heart disease, according to a report in the Dec. 8/22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Contact: Jordi Salas-Salvadó, M.D., Ph.D.
jordi.salas@urv.cat
JAMA and Archives Journals
Public Release: 8-Dec-2008
EMBO Reports
Epilepsy drug shows potential for Alzheimer's treatment
A drug commonly used to treat epilepsy could help clear the plaques in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers at the University of Leeds. The plaques are known to lead to the progressive death of nerve cells in the brain linked to many forms of dementia.
Medical Research Council
Contact: Jo Kelly
jokelly@campuspr.co.uk
44-113-258-9880
University of Leeds
Public Release: 8-Dec-2008
Diabetologia
Vitamin B1 could reverse early-stage kidney disease in diabetes patients
Researchers at the University of Warwick have discovered high doses of thiamine -- vitamin B1 -- can reverse the onset of early diabetic kidney disease.
Contact: Kelly Parkes-Harrison
k.e.parkes@warwick.ac.uk
44-078-245-40863
University of Warwick
Public Release: 8-Dec-2008
Public Library of Science ONE
Medical terms worry more people than lay terms, study finds
The label used to identify a disease -- whether it is common language or medical terminology -- can influence how serious people think the condition is, according to new research from McMaster University.
National Science and Engineering Research Council
Contact: Michelle Donovan
donovam@mcmaster.ca
905-525-9140
McMaster University
Public Release: 8-Dec-2008
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
U of Minnesota researcher finds link between aggression, status and sex
Have you ever wondered why it seems like the littlest things make people angry? Why a glance at the wrong person or a spilled glass of water can lead to a fist fight or worse? University of Minnesota researcher Vladas Griskevicius has three words to explain why people may be evolutionarily inclined to make a mountain out of molehill: aggression, status and sex.
Contact: Ryan Mathre
mathre@umn.edu
612-625-0552
University of Minnesota
Public Release: 8-Dec-2008
Study examines motives behind Santa myth
In 1896, 54 percent of parents said they perpetuated the myth of Santa since it made their children happy; compared with 73 percent in 1979 and 80 percent in 2000.
Contact: Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins
sylvain-jacques.desjardins@umontreal.ca
514-343-7593
University of Montreal
Public Release: 8-Dec-2008
Sexual Health
Contraceptive methods shape women's sexual pleasure and satisfaction
New data from the Kinsey Institute demonstrate that many women think condoms undermine sexual pleasure, but those who use both hormonal contraception and condoms also reported higher overall sexual satisfaction.
Contact: Jennifer Bass
jbass@indiana.edu
812-855-7686
Indiana University
Public Release: 8-Dec-2008
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition
Late Neandertals and modern human contact in southeastern Iberia
It is widely accepted that early modern humans spread westward across Europe about 42,000 years ago, displacing and absorbing Neandertal populations in the process. But how long did they survive? New research, is shedding light on what were probably the last Neandertals.
Contact: Erik Trinkaus
trinkaus@artsci.wustl.edu
314-935-5207
Washington University in St. Louis
Public Release: 8-Dec-2008
Evolutionary Psychology
Are men hardwired to overspend?
Bling, foreclosures, rising credit card debt, bank and auto bailouts, upside down mortgages and perhaps a mid-life crisis new Corvette -- all symptoms of compulsive overspending.
Contact: Laura Bailey
baileylm@umich.edu
734-647-1848
University of Michigan
Jealous dogs don't play ball
A sulky dog might just feel unfairly treated
12:39 08 December 2008
Time with dad is time well spent
The more effort a father invests in his children, the smarter they are as kids and more successful as adults, new research shows.
14:56 08 December 2008
Public Release: 9-Dec-2008
Journal of Neuroscience
Genetic change extends mouse life, points to possible treatment for ALS
There are many ways to die, but amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease must be one of the worst. By the time a patient notices muscle weakness, the neurons that control the muscles have already begun dying, in an untreatable process that brings death within two to five years.
Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins, ALS Association, National Institutes of Health
Contact: Jeffrey A. Johnson
jajohnson@pharmacy.wisc.edu
608-262-2893
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Public Release: 9-Dec-2008
Evidence-Based Child Health
Asthma: Commonly used medication shows no clear benefits in children
There are no clear benefits to using long-acting beta2-agonists for treatment of asthma in children, a new study concludes. In an overview of recent Cochrane reviews, Child Health Field researchers report that there is currently insufficient evidence to suggest the drugs, which are recommended to relieve the symptoms of asthma, offer any additional benefit to conventional preventative medications.
Contact: Jennifer Beal
jbeal@wiley.com
44-012-437-70633
Wiley-Blackwell
Public Release: 9-Dec-2008
British Medical Journal
Fear of nuts creating hysteria of epidemic proportions
Measures imposed to reduce exposure to nuts are often based on irrational fears of nut allergies and are becoming increasingly sensationalist, according to a doctor on bmj.com today.
Contact: Rachael Davies
rdavies@bma.org.uk
44-020-738-36529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Public Release: 9-Dec-2008
50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology
Drug combination improves or stabilizes disease for relapsed multiple myeloma patients
Mayo Clinic researchers have found that a new combination of medications designed to maximize immune functions improved or stabilized multiple myeloma for 76 percent of patients who had relapsed after previous treatment.
Celgene
Contact: Amy Tieder
newsbureau@mayo.edu
507-284-5005
Mayo Clinic
Basics
Primal, Acute and Easily Duped: Our Sense of Touch
The sense of touch is always hovering somewhere in the perceptual background, often ignored, but indispensable to our sense of safety and sanity. By NATALIE ANGIER
18 and Under
What to Do When the Patient Says, ‘Please Don’t Tell Mom’
For doctors with patients who are middle-schoolers, it can sometimes be unclear what information should stay confidential.
By PERRI KLASS, M.D
Hidden Travels of the Atomic Bomb
By WILLIAM J. BROAD
Atomic insiders say the weapon was invented only once, and its secrets were spread around the globe by spies, scientists and the covert acts of nuclear states.
* Interactive Multimedia: Voices of the Manhattan Project
* Photographs Slide Show: Nuclear Secrets Spread Around the Globe
Neanderthal genome already giving up its secrets
A rough draft of the Neanderthal genome should be available by the end of 2008
12:05 09 December 2008
Public Release: 9-Dec-2008
Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Statin warning for pregnant women
Pregnant women or those hoping to start or extend a family should avoid using the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins, say scientists.
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Contact: Aeron Haworth
aeron.haworth@manchester.ac.uk
44-161-275-8383
University of Manchester
Public Release: 9-Dec-2008
Clinical Interventions in Aging
Cholinesterase inhibitors reduce aggression, wandering and paranoia in Alzheimer's disease
Cholinesterase inhibitors, used to treat cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, are also a safe and effective alternative therapy for the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, according to a study that appears in the Dec. 2008 edition of Clinical Interventions in Aging.
Contact: Cindy Fox Aisen
caisen@iupui.edu
317-274-7722
Indiana University
Public Release: 9-Dec-2008
Genetics in Medicine
Genetic test for spinal muscular atrophy should be offered to all couples, says the ACMG
Carrier screening for SMA -- a serious genetic disease affecting approximately 1 in 10,000 infants that causes progressive muscle weakness and death -- should be made available to all families, according to a new guideline issued by the American College of Medical Genetics. SMA meets criteria for population-based genetics screening. It is a severe disease, with a relatively high frequency of gene carriers in the population, and an accurate genetic test is available, along with prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling.
Contact: Kathy Ridgely Beal
kbeal@acmg.net
301-238-4582
American College of Medical Genetics
Cold sore virus might cause Alzheimer's
Tests on brain samples from dead people have strengthened claims that Alzheimer's disease may be caused by the same virus that causes cold sores.
17:46 09 December 2008
Public Release: 10-Dec-2008
Neurology
If MRI shows signs of MS, will the disease develop?
With more and more people having brain MRIs for various reasons, doctors are finding people whose scans show signs of multiple sclerosis even though they have no symptoms of the disease. A new study published in the December 10, 2008, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found that a third of these people developed MS within an average of about five years.
Contact: Rachel Seroka
rseroka@aan.com
651-695-2738
American Academy of Neurology
Public Release: 10-Dec-2008
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology
High phosphorus linked to coronary calcification in chronic kidney disease
For patients with moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD), higher levels of phosphorus in the blood are associated with increased calcification of the major arteries and heart valves, which may contribute to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with CKD, reports a study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Genzyme, Abbott, and Shire Inc.; Amgen Inc.
Contact: Shari Leventhal
sleventhal@asn-online.org
202-416-0658
American Society of Nephrology
Public Release: 10-Dec-2008
Canadian Medical Association Journal
Long-term use of diabetes drugs by women significantly increases risk of fractures
A group of drugs commonly used to treat diabetes can double the risk of bone fractures in women, according to a new study by the University of East Anglia in the UK and Wake Forest University in the US.
Contact: Simon Dunford, Press Officer
s.dunford@uea.ac.uk
44-016-035-92203
University of East Anglia
Public Release: 10-Dec-2008
BMC Infectious Diseases
Drug-resistant tuberculosis rife in China
Levels of drug-resistant tuberculosis in China are nearly twice the global average. Nationwide research published in the open access journal BMC Infectious Diseases has shown that almost 10 percent of Chinese TB cases are resistant to the most effective first-line drugs.
Contact: Graeme Baldwin
graeme.baldwin@biomedcentral.com
44-079-205-86437
BioMed Central
Carbon Dioxide (No S.U.V.’s) Detected on Distant Planet
Astronomers have detected carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a planet 63 light-years away, but the planet is too hot for any possibility of life.
By KENNETH CHANG
Public Release: 10-Dec-2008
Heart
Living in multigenerational households triples women's heart disease risk
Living in a household with several generations of relatives triples a woman's risk of serious heart disease, suggests research published ahead of print in the journal Heart.
Contact: Rachael Davies
rdavies@bma.org.uk
44-020-738-36529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Eurasia Insight
Turkey: Ancient Pagan Temple Site Yields New Archeological Clues On Origins Of Farming
Nicholas Birch 12/09/08
Public Release: 10-Dec-2008
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
A new class of anti-inflammatory drugs
Scientists at the Frankfurt's Goethe University have discovered a new class of anti-inflammatory drugs. The new substances promise to be more effective and to cause fewer side effects than aspirin. The chemists have already applied for a patent.
Contact: Manfred Schubert-Zsilavecz
Schubert-Zsilavecz@pharmchem.uni-frankfurt.de
49-069-798-29339
Goethe University Frankfurt
Public Release: 10-Dec-2008
The dark chocolate version of Father Christmas is most filling
New research at the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Copenhagen shows that dark chocolate is far more filling than milk chocolate, lessening our craving for sweet, salty and fatty foods. In other words, eating dark chocolate may be an efficient way to keep your weight down over Christmas.
Contact: Lone Brinkmann Sørensen, LIFE, University of Copenhagen
lbs@life.ku.dk
453-533-2509
University of Copenhagen
Public Release: 10-Dec-2008
Rhinology
Hot drinks help fight cold and flu
A hot drink may help reduce the symptoms of common colds and flu, according to new research by Cardiff University's Common Cold Center. New research at the Center has found that a simple hot drink of fruit cordial can provide immediate and sustained relief from symptoms of runny nose, cough, sneezing, sore throat, chilliness and tiredness
Contact: Professor Ron Eccles
Eccles@cardiff.ac.uk
Cardiff University
Public Release: 10-Dec-2008
Psychology of Women Quarterly
Women who are perceived as confident in job interviews also seen as lacking social skills
A new study in Psychology of Women Quarterly finds that women who present themselves as confident and ambitious in job interviews are viewed as highly competent but also lacking social skills.
Rutgers University
Contact: Amy Molnar
journalnews@bos.blackwellpublishing.net
201-748-8844
Wiley-Blackwell
Public Release: 10-Dec-2008
Cell Transplantation
Transplanted fat cells restore function after spinal cord injury
Fat cells, plentiful and easily obtained from adipose tissues without discomfort and grown under culture conditions as de-differentiated fat cells (DFAT), have been for the first time shown to successfully differentiate into neuronal cells in in vivo tests. DFAT, with none of the features of adipocytes, have shown potential to differentiate into endothelial, neuronal or glial lineages, thus demonstrating their potential for a source for cell replacement therapy to treat central nervous system disorders.
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan
Contact: Yuki Ohta
yuki-o@marianna-u.ac.jp
81-449-778-111
Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair
Public Release: 10-Dec-2008
Nature Neuroscience
'Fly guy' makes memory breakthrough
University of Alberta pediatric neuroscientist Dr. Francois Bolduc has shown that genetically disrupting a specific gene in a fruit fly's brain will wipe out its long-term memory. Bolduc has also found a class of drugs that helps fruit flies with this disrupted gene to regain their memories. The news is significant for humans, because the gene, Fragile X Mental Retardation, malfunctions in people with intellectual disabilities and there are currently no clinically available treatments.
University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, Women and Children's Health Research Institute
Contact: Lindsay Elleker
lindsay.elleker@ualberta.ca
780-492-0647
University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry
Public Release: 10-Dec-2008
Nature Neuroscience
A special type of collagen may help protect the brain against Alzheimer's disease
Scientists from the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, UCSF and Stanford have discovered that a certain type of collagen, collagen VI, protects brain cells against amyloid-beta proteins, which are widely thought to cause Alzheimer's disease.
National Institutes of Health, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Larry L. Hillblom Foundation
Contact: Valerie Tucker
vtucker@gladstone.ucsf.edu
415-734-2019
Gladstone Institutes
Life-saving lab made from paper and sticky tape
A cheap, paper "lab-on-a-chip" could revolutionise healthcare in the developing worldNEWS:  18:00 10 December 2008
Public Release: 10-Dec-2008
Astrophysical Journal Letters
Astronomers use ultra-sensitive camera to measure size of planet orbiting star
A team of astronomers led by John Johnson of the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy has used a new technique to measure the precise size of a planet around a distant star. They used a camera so sensitive that it could detect the passage of a moth in front of a lit window from a distance of 1,000 miles.
Contact: Dr. John Johnson
johnjohn@ifa.hawaii.edu
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Man's genes 'key to baby's sex'
A man's genetic make-up may play a role in whether he has sons or daughters, a study of hundreds of years of family trees suggests.
11 December 2008
Public Release: 12-Dec-2008
Astronomy & Astrophysics
The hottest white dwarf in its class
A team of German and American astronomers present far-ultraviolet observations of white dwarf KPD 0005+5106 and reveal that it is among the hottest stars ever known with a temperature of 200 000 K at its surface. Astronomy & Astrophysics is publishing this discovery, which was made through spectroscopic observations with NASA's space-based Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer.
Contact: Dr. Jennifer Martin
aanda.paris@obspm.fr
Astronomy & Astrophysics
'Mind-reading' software could record your dreams
Mental pictures can now be extracted from your brain using nothing but software and fMRI scans -- should we start worrying about 'neural marketing'?
18:05 12 December 2008
Observatory
Corals Indicate Another Sumatra Quake Is Likely
With coral reefs as their tea leaves, scientists are forecasting that in the next several decades there will be another major earthquake along the Sunda fault off Sumatra like the one that spawned the catastrophic tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004.
By HENRY FOUNTAIN
Published: December 11, 2008
Tools with handles even more ancient
New finds move back the origins of Stone Age tools that were attached to handles with adhesive material
By Bruce Bower
Friday, December 12th, 2008
Public Release: 14-Dec-2008
American Society for Cell Biology's 47th Annual Meeting
Blocking molecular pathway with whimsical name possible therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer
A possible new therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer, the most lethal form of human cancer, has been identified in the proteins whose DNA recipe comes from the gene, "Seven-In-Absentia."
Contact: Cathy Yarbrough
sciencematter@yahoo.com
858-243-1814
American Society for Cell Biology
Public Release: 14-Dec-2008
American Society for Cell Biology's 47th Annual Meeting
Immunity stronger at night than during day
The immune system's battle against invading bacteria reaches its peak activity at night and is lowest during the day. Experiments with fruit flies reveal that the immune response phagocytosis oscillates with body's circadian rhythm.
Contact: Cathy Yarbrough
sciencematter@yahoo.com
858-243-1814
American Society for Cell Biology
Brain-boosting drugs 'not to be feared'
Society should embrace the use of drugs that increase brain power, says a group of neuroscientists, psychiatrists and ethicists
UPFRONT:  08:44 14 December 2008