Public Release: 12-Jan-2009
Genome Research
Hair of Tasmanian tiger yields genes of extinct species
All the genes that the exotic Tasmanian Tiger inherited only from its mother will be revealed in a paper to be published on Jan. 13, 2009. The research marks the first successful sequencing of genes from this carnivorous marsupial, which looked like a large tiger-striped dog and became extinct in 1936. The research also opens the door to the widespread, nondestructive use of museum specimens to learn why mammals become extinct and how extinctions might be prevented.
Penn State University, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Ramon Areces Foundation in Spain
Contact: Barbara K. Kennedy
science@psu.edu
814-863-4682
Penn State
Ground-based bacteria may be making it rain
Bacteria seem to release a powerful detergent into the atmosphere that may be one of nature's most powerful rain-makers
THIS WEEK:  10:27 12 January 2009
Public Release: 12-Jan-2009
Current Directions in Psychological Science
Primate culture is just a stone's throw away from human evolution, study finds
For 30 years, scientists have been studying stone-handling behavior in several troops of Japanese macaques to catch a unique glimpse of primate culture. By watching these monkeys acquire and maintain behavioral traditions from generation to generation, the scientists have gained insight into the cultural evolution of humans.
Contact: Katie Kline
kkline@psychologicalscience.org
202-293-9300
Association for Psychological Science
Top 11 compounds in US drinking water
A comprehensive survey of the drinking water for more than 28 million Americans has detected the widespread presence of pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors
15:38 12 January 2009
The Maya suffered for their looks
Times UK
Public Release: 12-Jan-2009
Anaesthesia Safety Conference
British Journal of Anaesthesia
Medical study shows epidurals and spinal anesthetics are safer than previously reported
The largest ever prospective study into the major complications of epidurals and spinal anaesthetics published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia today, Jan. 12, 2009, concludes that previous studies have over-estimated the risks of severe complications of these procedures. The study concludes that the estimated risk of permanent harm following a spinal anesthetic or epidural is lower than 1 in 20,000 and in many circumstances the estimated risk is considerably lower.
Contact: Dr Tim Cook
tcook@rcoa.ac.uk
44-079-700-25209
Oxford University Press
Ancient supercontinent was a diamond factory
A find of unusual "ultra-deep" gems in Australia has provided new clues to how diamonds are formed deep below the Earth's crust
18:10 12 January 2009
Finger length may reveal your financial acumen
Financial traders who excel at stressful short-term or "high-frequency" trading may have been exposed to higher levels of testosterone in the uterus
22:00 12 January 2009
Public Release: 12-Jan-2009
Nature
Argonne scientists prove unconventional superconductivityin new iron arsenide compounds
Scientists at US Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory used inelastic neutron scattering to show that superconductivity in a new family of iron arsenide superconductors cannot be explained by conventional theories.
US Department of Energy
Contact: Brock Cooper
bcooper@anl.gov
630-252-5565
DOE/Argonne National Laboratory
Public Release: 13-Jan-2009
Chest
Misuse of Vicks VapoRub may harm infants and toddlers
New research appearing in the January issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians, shows that Vicks VapoRub may stimulate mucus production and airway inflammation, which can have severe effects on breathing in an infant or toddler.
Contact: Jennifer Stawarz
jstawarz@chestnet.org
847-498-8306
American College of Chest Physicians
Public Release: 13-Jan-2009
JAMA
Use of antidepressants associated with improvement in symptoms of fibromyalgia
The use of antidepressant medications by patients with fibromyalgia syndrome is associated with a reduction in pain, sleep disturbances and depressed mood and improvement of health-related quality of life, according to an analysis of previous studies, which is published in the Jan. 14 issue of JAMA.
Contact: Winfried Häuser, M.D.
whaeuser@klinikum-saarbruecken.de
JAMA and Archives Journals
Public Release: 13-Jan-2009
Personality and Individual Differences
High caffeine intake linked to hallucination proneness
High caffeine consumption could be linked to a greater tendency to hallucinate, a new research study suggests. People with a higher caffeine intake, from sources such as coffee, tea and caffeinated energy drinks, are more likely to report hallucinatory experiences such as hearing voices and seeing things that are not there, according to the Durham University study.
Contact: Alex Thomas
media.relations@durham.ac.uk
01-913-346-075
Durham University
Public Release: 13-Jan-2009
Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin
Little or no evidence that herbal remedies relieve menopausal symptoms
There is no strong evidence either way for several herbal remedies commonly taken to relieve troublesome menopausal symptoms, concludes the January issue of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin. And for some, there is hardly any evidence at all.
Contact: Emma Dickinson
edickinson@bmj.com
44-020-738-36529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Butterflies use penis to gauge sex competition
Male monarch butterflies conduct an all-out sperm war based on a crude measure of how much sperm is stored inside a female from a previous mating
THIS WEEK:  10:10 13 January 2009
Public Release: 13-Jan-2009
Neurology
Delusions associated with consistent pattern of brain injury
A new study provides a novel theory for how delusions arise and why they persist. NYU Langone Medical Center researcher Orrin Devinsky, MD, performed an in-depth analysis of patients with certain delusions and brain disorders revealing a consistent pattern of injury to the frontal lobe and right hemisphere of the human brain.
Contact: Lauren Woods
lauren.woods@nyumc.org
212-404-3555
NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine
Public Release: 13-Jan-2009
Diabetes
Human beta cells can be easily induced to replicate, according to study in Diabetes
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have successfully induced human insulin-producing cells, known as beta cells, to replicate robustly in a living animal, as well as in the lab. The discovery not only could improve models and methods for studying diabetes, but also opens up new possibilities for treating the condition.
National Institutes of Health, American Diabetes Association, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Contact: Anita Srikameswaran
SrikamAV@upmc.edu
412-647-3555
University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences
Public Release: 13-Jan-2009
Chasing thundersnow could lead to more accurate forecasts
The job of one University of Missouri researcher could chill to the bone, but his research could make weather predicting more accurate. Patrick Market, associate professor of atmospheric science in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, is chasing storms in the dead of winter in order to release weather balloons that will produce data about the little-known phenomenon of thundersnow.
Contact: Jennifer Faddis
FaddisJ@missouri.edu
573-882-6217
University of Missouri-Columbia
Public Release: 13-Jan-2009
Arthritis & Rheumatism
Novel drugs selectively target pathway important in rheumatoid arthritis
Methotrexate , a folate antagonist that blocks folic acid activity, is the most widely used disease-modifying antirheumatic drug for rheumatoid arthritis. It enters the cell via several pathways, one of which involves folate receptor β, which is highly specific for cells present in the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Contact: Sean Wagner
medicalnews@bos.blackwellpublishing.com
781-388-8550
Wiley-Blackwell
Bug enzyme generates fuel from water
Taken from a bacterium that feeds on sulphur, the enzyme could give the dream of a greener hydrogen economy much-needed momentum
17:01 13 January 2009
Public Release: 14-Jan-2009
BMC Evolutionary Biology
Scientists uncover evolutionary keys to common birth disorders
The work of Forsyth scientist Peter Jezewski, DDS, Ph.D., has revealed that duplication and diversification of protein regions ("modules") within ancient master control genes is key to the understanding of certain birth disorders. Tracing the history of these changes within the proteins coded by the Msx gene family over the past 600 million years has also provided additional evidence for the ancient origin of the human mouth.
NIH/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Contact: Jennifer Kelly
jkelly@forsyth.org
617-892-8602
Forsyth Institute
Public Release: 14-Jan-2009
Archaeological Institute of America
University of Leicester archaeologist uncovers evidence of ancient chemical warfare
A researcher from the University of Leicester has identified what looks to be the oldest archaeological evidence for chemical warfare -- from Roman times.
Contact: Dr. Simon James
stj3@le.ac.uk
01-162-522-535
University of Leicester
Public Release: 14-Jan-2009
International Journal of Social Psychiatry
Physical activity, mood and serious mental illness
Indiana University researchers combined experience sampling during random signaling throughout the day with physical activity measures recorded on study participants' accelerometers. They found that even low levels of physical activity improved mood for people with serious mental illness, such as bipolar disorder, major depression and schizophrenia. A challenge, they say, is to find everyday activities to help this population, which typically has low levels of activity, become more active and engaged.
Indiana University Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Studies, Department of Kinesiology, Russian and East European InstituteContact: Bryan McCormick
bmccormi@indiana.edu
812-855-3482
Indiana University
Explaining the curse of work
Work expands to fill the time available – and maths can tell us how and why, says Mark Buchanan
FEATURE:  10:04 14 January 2009
Pet dogs rival humans for emotional satisfaction
After playing with their pets, dog owners seem to experience a burst in oxytocin – a hormone linked to infant care and romantic love
11:13 14 January 2009
Research Ties Human Acts to Harmful Rates of Species Evolution
Human actions are increasing the rate of evolutionary change in plants and animals in ways that may hurt their long-term prospects for survival, scientists are reporting.
By CORNELIA DEAN
Published: January 12, 2009
Q & A
Bite and Bite Again
Why would a mosquito bite one person many times in a short period?
By C. CLAIBORNE RAY
Findings
Anti-Love Drug May Be Ticket to Bliss
The genetics of romance suggest that love potions, or love vaccines, could be on the horizon.
By JOHN TIERNEY
Paper Details Sites on Mars With Plumes of Methane
Subsurface Martian cows appear unlikely, but scientists are seriously considering the possibility that bacteria are generating the methane.
By KENNETH CHANG
Poo clue to ancient bird's diet
An analysis of the dried faeces of the giant moa, an extinct bird from New Zealand, has overturned ideas about what the flightless giants ate.
13 January 2009
Public Release: 14-Jan-2009
Neuron
Game of two halves leads to brain asymmetry
A tug-of-war between the two sides of the brain causes it to become asymmetrical, according to research published today in the journal Neuron. Asymmetry in the brain is thought to be important to enable the two hemispheres to specialize and operate more efficiently.
Wellcome Trust
Contact: Craig Brierley
c.brierley@wellcome.ac.uk
44-207-611-7329
Wellcome Trust
Public Release: 14-Jan-2009
Journal of General Virology
Common soil mineral degrades the nearly indestructible prion
A team of Wisconsin researchers has found that a common soil mineral, an oxidized from of manganese known as birnessite, can penetrate the prion's armor and degrade the protein.
National Science Foundation
Contact: Joel Pedersen
joelpedersen@wisc.edu
608-263-4971
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Public Release: 15-Jan-2009
Science
Fish guts explain marine carbon cycle mystery
Research reveals the major influence of fish on maintaining the delicate pH balance of our oceans, vital for the health of coral reefs and other marine life. The discovery, made by a team of scientists from the UK, US and Canada, could help solve a mystery that has puzzled marine chemists for decades. Published in Science, the study provides new insights into the marine carbon cycle, which is undergoing rapid change as a result of global CO2 emissions.
Contact: Sarah Hoyle
s.hoyle@exeter.ac.uk
01-392-262-062
University of Exeter
Colourful pigs evolved through farming, not nature
Pigs evolved bright coat colours rapidly after domestication thanks to the human penchant for novelty, a new gene analysis suggests
01:00 16 January 2009
Public Release: 15-Jan-2009
British Medical Journal
Postnatal depression can be effectively treated and possibly prevented
Health visitors can be trained to identify women with postnatal depression and offer effective treatment, while telephone peer support (mother to mother) may halve the risk of developing postnatal depression, suggests research published on bmj.com today.
Contact: Emma Dickinson
edickinson@bmj.com
44-020-738-36529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Public Release: 15-Jan-2009
International Journal of Health Geographics
Global warming linked to European viral epidemic
An epidemic of the viral disease nephropathia epidemica has been linked to increases in the vole population caused by hotter summers, milder winters and increased seedcrop production by broadleaf trees. Research published in BioMed Central's open access International Journal of Health Geographics links outbreaks of this rodent-borne disease to known effects of global warming.
Contact: Graeme Baldwin
graeme.baldwin@biomedcentral.com
44-020-707-94804
BioMed Central
Public Release: 15-Jan-2009
Journal of Bone and Mineral Research
Researchers detail how aging undermines bone healing
Researchers have unraveled crucial details of how aging causes broken bones to heal slowly, or not at all, according to study results published today in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. The research team also successfully conducted preclinical tests on a potential new class of treatments designed to "rescue" healing capability lost to aging.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Greg Williams
Greg_Williams@urmc.rochester.edu
585-267-7557
University of Rochester Medical Center
Public Release: 15-Jan-2009
Cancer Research
Scripps Florida scientists find novel use for old compound in cancer treatment
Scientists from the Scripps Florida campus of the Scripps Research Institute have found a potentially beneficial use for a once-abandoned compound in the prevention and treatment of neuroblastoma, one of the most devastating cancers among young children.
National Institutes of Health, State of Florida
Contact: Keith McKeown
kmckeown@scripps.edu
858-784-8134
Scripps Research Institute
Public Release: 15-Jan-2009
Journal of Biological Chemistry
New family of antibacterial agents uncovered
In this week's JBC, researchers have found a potential new antibiotic agent in the tiny freshwater animal Hydra.
Contact: Nick Zagorski
nzagorski@asbmb.org
301-634-7366
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Public Release: 16-Jan-2009
Archives of Internal Medicine
Seasonal variation in blood pressure
A French study reported in the Jan. 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine has found a strong correlation between blood pressure and outdoor temperature in a large sample of the elderly. As a result, the investigators advise that, during periods of extreme temperatures, careful monitoring of blood pressure and antihypertensive treatment "could contribute to reducing the consequences of blood pressure variations in the elderly."
Contact: ESC Press Office
press@escardio.org
33-049-294-8627
European Society of Cardiology
Public Release: 16-Jan-2009
Clinical Infectious Diseases
Free antibiotics: The wrong prescription for cold and flu season
With an epidemic of antibiotic-resistant infections growing, experts are warning grocery-store pharmacies that antibiotics giveaways are an unhealthy promotional gimmick. If grocery stores want to help customers and save them money during cold and flu season, the Infectious Diseases Society of America says, they should offer free influenza vaccinations instead.
Contact: Steve Baragona
sbaragona@idsociety.org
703-299-0412
Infectious Diseases Society of America
Record number of wooden tablets unearthed from Heijo Palace remains in Nara
Tens of thousands of wooden tablets dating back to the Nara period (710-794), have been found within the remains of the Heijo Palace here, it has been learned.
Click here for the original Japanese story
Public Release: 16-Jan-2009
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Neurons show sex-dependent changes during starvation
Researchers found that nutrient deprivation of neurons produced sex-dependent effects. Male neurons more readily withered up and died, while female neurons did their best to conserve energy and stay alive.
Contact: Nick Zagorski
nzagorski@asbmb.org
301-634-7366
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Eyes reveal health secrets of the brain
A simple eye test can monitor brain tumours and could one day detect diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's before symptoms become apparent
FEATURE:  10:00 17 January 2009
Test Subjects Who Call the Scientist Mom or Dad
The scientists say that their children make reliable participants in an era of scarce research financing.
By PAM BELLUCK
Medicine in the Ancient World
 People in antiquity were no less concerned about the prevention and cure of maladies than they are now, however, and entire cults, sanctuaries and professions dedicated to health dotted the spiritual, physical and professional landscapes of the ancient world. So what exactly did ancient cultures do to combat disease and injury, and did these methods have any real basis in science as we know it today? The answers may surprise you.
by Sarah Yeomans