Public Release: 2-Feb-2009
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Zinc supplements during pregnancy may counteract damage from early alcohol exposure
Animal research has shown that binge drinking -- even just once -- during early pregnancy can cause numerous problems for the fetus, including early postnatal death. Fetal zinc deficiency may explain some of the birth defects and neurodevelopmental abnormalities associated with alcohol exposure. New rodent findings are the first to show that dietary zinc supplements throughout pregnancy can reduce some alcohol-related birth defects.
Channel Seven Children's Research Foundation of South Australia Inc.
Contact: Peter Coyle, Ph.D.
peter.coyle@imvs.sa.gov.au
61-882-223-028
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Public Release: 2-Feb-2009
Canadian Medical Association Journal
Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea increases from 2 percent to 28 percent
The prevalence of quinolone-resistant gonorrhea has increased rapidly in Ontario -- Canada's most populous province -- from a rate of 2 percent in 2001 to 28 percent in 2006, found a study published in CMAJ.
Contact: Kim Barnhardt
kim.barnhardt@cmaj.ca
613-731-8610 x2224
Canadian Medical Association Journal
Public Release: 2-Feb-2009
Behavioral Neuroscience
Vascular drug found to improve learning and memory in middle-aged rats
A team of Arizona psychologists, geneticists and neuroscientists has reported that a safe and effective drug used to treat vascular problems in the brain has improved spatial learning and working memory in middle-aged rats. Although far from proving anything about human use of the drug, the finding supports the scientific quest for a substance that could treat progressive cognitive impairment, cushion the cognitive impact of normal aging, or even enhance learning and memory throughout the life span.
Contact: Public Affairs
public.affairs@apa.org
202-336-5700
American Psychological Association
Public Release: 2-Feb-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Insulin is a possible new treatment for Alzheimer's
A Northwestern University-led research team reports that insulin may slow or prevent the damage and memory loss caused by toxic proteins (called ADDLs) in Alzheimer's disease. Scientists treated hippocampal cells with insulin and an insulin-sensitizing drug. They discovered that damage to neurons exposed to ADDLs was blocked by insulin, which kept ADDLs from attaching to the cells. The findings provide additional evidence that Alzheimer's could be due to a novel third form of diabetes.
Alzheimer's Association, American Health Assistance Foundation, NIH/National Institute on Aging
Contact: Megan Fellman
fellman@northwestern.edu
847-491-3115
Northwestern University
Public Release: 2-Feb-2009
Cancer
Study identifies potential 'safe period' for hormone replacement use
A new study confirms that the use of estrogen plus progesterone increases the risk of both ductal and lobular breast cancer far more than estrogen only; suggests a two-year "safe" period for the use of estrogen and progesterone; and finds that the increased risk for ductal cancers observed in long-term past users of hormone replacement therapy drops off substantially two years after hormone use is stopped.
American Cancer Society
Contact: David Sampson
david.sampson@cancer.org
American Cancer Society
Public Release: 2-Feb-2009
Agronomy Journal
Plant soybean early to increase yield
Planting date is probably one of the most important yet least expensive management decisions that significantly affects soybean yield, yet few scientists have studies the effect of early planting. A new article in Agronomy Journal features results of a recent study that examines its benefits for soybean crops.
Contact: Sara Uttech
suttech@agronomy.org
608-268-4948
American Society of Agronomy
Public Release: 2-Feb-2009
Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery
Cementless cup device developed for hip replacements shows durability after more than 20 years
When a first hip replacement fails, patients may be concerned that their options for a durable hip replacement are limited and that the prognosis is poor. However, a research study to be published in the February issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery suggests that this may not be the case.
Contact: Deborah Song
deb_song@rush.edu
312-942-0588
Rush University Medical Center
Public Release: 2-Feb-2009
American Journal of Primatology
Small male chimps use politics, rather than aggression, to lead the pack, U of Minnesota study says
With most mammals, the biggest and most aggressive male claims the alpha male role and gets his choice of food and females. But a new study from the University of Minnesota suggests that at least among chimpanzees, smaller, more mild-mannered males can also use political behavior to secure the top position.
Contact: Patty Mattern
mattern@umn.edu
612-624-2801
University of Minnesota
Public Release: 2-Feb-2009
Vaccine
New vaccine developed for preventing 'uncommon cold' virus
Common colds typically cause a week of sneezing, aches and pains and then fade away leaving only a sore nose and a few used sick days behind. But what if that cold turned out to be something more?
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Contact: Marjorie Musick
mmusick@gmu.edu
703-993-8781
George Mason University
Public Release: 2-Feb-2009
Perception & Psychophysics
Slow down -- Those lines on the road are longer than you think
How long are the dashed lines that are painted down the middle of a road? Most people answer, "two feet." The real answer is 10 feet. That's the federal guideline for every street, highway, and rural road in the United States, where dashed lines separate traffic lanes or indicate where passing is allowed. A new study found that people grossly underestimate the length of these lines -- that implies we're all misjudging distances as we drive, and are driving too fast as a result.
Contact: Dennis Shaffer
shaffer.247@osu.edu
419-755-4274
Ohio State University
Public Release: 2-Feb-2009
Journal of Nutrition
Inflammation in colon may get doused before fueling cancer development
Repeated inflammation that leads to colon cancer may have met its match. A tiny molecule, quercetin, found in most plant-based foods douses the flames before damaging lesions can form in the colon, says Dr. Nancy Turner, Texas AgriLife Research scientist. And the nice thing is that quercetin is readily available in common plant-based foods. So it's not an unachievable goal for us good ol' Americans if we do the right thing with our food consumption.
U.S. Department of Agriculture and Texas A&M University Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center
Contact: Kathleen Phillips
ka-phillips@tamu.edu
979-845-2872
Texas A&M AgriLife Communications

Public Release: 2-Feb-2009
Hopkins transplant surgeons remove healthy kidney through donor's vagina
In what is believed to be a first-ever procedure, surgeons at Johns Hopkins have successfully removed a healthy donor kidney through a small incision in the back of the donor's vagina.
Contact: Eric Vohr
evohr1@jhmi.edu
410-955-8665
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Public Release: 2-Feb-2009
Biotechnology and Bioengineering
Cell-building discovery could reduce need for some animal research
Brown University biomedical engineers, using a 3-D Petri dish they invented, have successfully built complex-shaped microtissues by assembling small building blocks of living cell clusters. The finding, to be published in the March 1 edition of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, helps advance the field of tissue engineering and could reduce the need for some animal research.
National Science Foundation, International Foundation for Ethical Research
Contact: Mark Hollmer
Mark_Hollmer@brown.edu
401-863-1862
Brown University
Gastric 'condoms' could help obese avoid surgery
Non-surgical technologies to help dangerously obese people shed excess kilos and tackle diabetes could soon be on the market
FEATURE:  10:36 02 February 2009
Random checks 'as effective' as terrorist profiling
Not only is flagging up potential threats according to race and religion discriminatory, it is no more efficient than random checks, according to a new analysis
22:00 02 February 2009
Mind
The Muddled Tracks of All Those Tears
Common psychological wisdom holds that crying offers healthy catharsis, but some researchers say that isn’t always the case
By BENEDICT CAREY
Google Earth provides dizzying 3D views of Mars
The latest version of the desktop application uses data from a fleet of spacecraft to let users zoom in on the Red Planet – it may become a research tool
01:22 03 February 2009
Public Release: 3-Feb-2009
Blood
Green tea may negate the effects of a common cancer therapy
Green tea products have become regarded as a valuable health supplement, as studies have shown evidence of its benefit against a variety of diseases, including cancer. However, a new study suggests that some components of green tea may counteract the anticancer effects of one cancer therapy, bortezomib (Velcade), and may be contraindicated for patients taking this medicine to ensure its maximum therapeutic benefit. This study is being prepublished online today in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
Contact: Patrick C. Irelan
pirelan@hematology.org
202-292-0253
American Society of Hematology
Public Release: 3-Feb-2009
Chemistry & Biology
Don't go changing: New chemical keeps stem cells young
Scientists at the Universities of Bath and Leeds have discovered a chemical that stops stem cells from turning into other cell types, allowing researchers to use these cells to develop new medical treatments more easily.
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Contact: Vicky Just
v.j.just@bath.ac.uk
44-012-253-86883
University of Bath

Public Release: 3-Feb-2009
Sleep
Nightmares increase risk of further suicide attempts
A thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, concludes that people who have nightmares following a suicide attempt are five times more likely to attempt suicide again, compared with those who do not have nightmares.
Contact: Nils Sjostrom
nils.sjostrom@neuro.gu.se
46-070-743-7110
University of Gothenburg
Public Release: 3-Feb-2009
Psychosomatic Medicine
Study finds Zen meditation alleviates pain
Zen meditation -- a centuries-old practice that can provide mental, physical and emotional balance -- may reduce pain according to University of Montreal researchers. A new study in the January edition of Psychosomatic Medicine reports that Zen meditators have lower pain sensitivity both in and out of a meditative state compared to non-meditators. The ultimate result? Zen meditators experienced an 18 percent reduction in pain intensity.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Mind and Life Institute, Health Research Foundation of Quebec
Contact: Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins
sylvain-jacques.desjardins@umontreal.ca
514-343-7593
University of Montreal
Public Release: 3-Feb-2009
Nature Neuroscience
Neural mapping paints a haphazard picture of odor receptors
Despite the striking aromatic differences between coffee, peppermint, and pine, a new mapping of the nose's neural circuitry suggests a haphazard patchwork where the receptors for such disparate scents are as likely as not to be neighbors. Inexplicably, this seemingly random arrangement is faithfully preserved across individuals and even species, with cells that process the same scent located in precisely the same location on the olfactory bulb, the brain's first processing station for odors.
Harvard University
Contact: Steve Bradt
steve_bradt@harvard.edu
617-496-8070
Harvard University
Public Release: 3-Feb-2009
Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Mayo Clinic researchers suspect a novel gene is causing restless legs syndrome in a large family
In 2005, a woman who had trouble sleeping asked Siong-Chi Lin, M.D., for help. Dr. Lin, a sleep disorders specialist at the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida, diagnosed restless legs syndrome. This common neurologic disorder interrupts sleep because of unpleasant sensations in the legs at rest, especially in the evening, that are temporarily relieved by movement.
Mayo Foundation Research Committee, National Institutes of Health, Pacific Alzheimer Research Foundation
Contact: Kevin Punsky
punsky.kevin@mayo.edu
904-953-2299
Reinvent Wheel? Blue Room. Defusing a Bomb? Red Room.
The color red can make people’s work more accurate, but blue can make people more creative, a study suggests.Mayo Clinic
By PAM BELLUCK
Public Release: 4-Feb-2009
New England Journal of Medicine
Breast cancer risk rapidly declines after women stop taking postmenopausal combined hormone therapy
Women who stopped taking the postmenopausal hormone combination of estrogen plus progestin experienced a marked decline in breast cancer risk.
NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Contact: Laura Mecoy
lmecoy@issuesmanagement.com
310-546-5860
Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed)
Primitive whales gave birth on land
The orientation of the fetus in the only known fossil of a pregnant whale suggests its mother gave birth sea lion-like on dry land
00:01 04 February 2009
Ancient sponges leave their mark
By Jonathan Amos Science reporter, BBC News
Traces of animal life have been found in rocks dating back 635 million years.
4 February 2009
Public Release: 4-Feb-2009
Journal of Neuroscience
Discovery by Brown researchers could lead to new autism treatment
A Brown research team led by neuroscience professor Justin Fallon has discovered a structure in the brain called the Fragile X granule, which offers a potential target for treating autism and mental retardation. Details were published Feb. 4, 2009, in the Journal of Neuroscience.
National Institutes of Health, Fragile X Research Foundation
Contact: Mark Hollmer
Mark_Hollmer@brown.edu
401-863-1862
Brown University
Public Release: 5-Feb-2009
American Journal of Human Genetics
The nonsense in our genes
A study of the genetic code of more than 1,000 people, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, has found that at least one in 200 human genes can be inactivated in apparently healthy people. The findings suggest that, though these genetic mutations can be harmful, they generally have little effect on the individual and could occasionally even be beneficial in evolutionary terms. The study also found that individuals carry on average 46 of these inactivating mutations.
Wellcome Trust
Contact: Don Powell
don@sanger.ac.uk
44-012-234-96928
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
Public Release: 5-Feb-2009
PLoS Genetics
Scientists propose new direction in the search for genetic causes of schizophrenia
A new study shows that schizophrenia is caused, at least in part, by large, rare structural changes in DNA referred to as copy number variants -- not the tiny, single letter alterations (single nucleotide polymorphisms that scientists have pursued for years. The findings are published Feb. 6 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.
Contact: Catriona Silvey
press@plos.org
Public Library of Science
Public Release: 5-Feb-2009
PLoS Genetics
Genetic study shows direct link between vitamin D and MS susceptibility 'gene'
Researchers have found evidence that a direct interaction between vitamin D and a common genetic variant alters the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). The research, published on Feb. 6 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics, suggests that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and the early years may increase the risk of the offspring developing MS later in life.
Contact: Catriona Silvey
press@plos.org
Public Library of Science
Public Release: 5-Feb-2009
Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology
Pharmaceuticals sold in Sweden cause serious environmental harm in India
Research from the Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Sweden, shows that Sweden is a major consumer of pharmaceutical substances from factories that fail to adequately treat their wastewater. Many of the substances in the most common medicines are manufactured in India and China where it is an obvious risk of these releases leading to resistant bacteria.
Contact: Joakim Larsson
joakim.larsson@fysiologi.gu.se
46-070-962-1068
University of Gothenburg
Public Release: 5-Feb-2009
BMC Medicine
Constant compressions critical to CPR
Interrupting chest compressions during resuscitation reduces the chances of heartbeat return after defibrillation. New research published in the open access journal BMC Medicine shows that for every second of a pause in compressions there is a one percent reduction in the likelihood of success.
Contact: Graeme Baldwin
graeme.baldwin@biomedcentral.coom
44-079-205-86437
BioMed Central
Public Release: 5-Feb-2009
Science
Origin of claws seen in 390-million-year-old fossil
A missing link in the evolution of the front claw of living scorpions and horseshoe crabs was identified with the discovery of a 390-million-year-old fossil by researchers at Yale and the University of Bonn, Germany.
German Science Foundation, Humboldt Foundation
Contact: Janet Rettig Emanuel
janet.emanuel@yale.edu
203-432-2157
Yale University
Why teenagers can't see your point of view
Adolescents might have a new excuse for ignoring their parent's orders – their developing mind seems to have trouble adopting the viewpoint of others
11:29 05 February 2009
Antarctic bulge could flood Washington DC
As the Antarctic ice sheet melts, the gravitational pull it exerts on surrounding water will lessen – it could spell bad news for US coastal regions, according to a new report
19:00 05 February 2009
Parasitic butterflies dupe hosts with ant music
Caterpillars mimic the noises made by ant queens to trick worker ants into protecting and feeding them, even at the expense of the ants own lives
19:00 05 February 2009
F.D.A. Approves Drug From Gene-Altered Goats
The drug, which prevents blood clots in people with a rare condition, is made from the milk of genetically engineered animals, which may usher a new era in pharmaceuticals.
Number of alien worlds quantified
Intelligent civilisations are out there and there could be thousands of them, according to an Edinburgh scientist.
By ANDREW POLLACK
5 February 2009
Public Release: 5-Feb-2009
Journal of Medical Entomology
A natural, alternative insect repellent to DEET
A cheap, natural compound has been found to deter biting of mosquitoes and to repel ticks as effectively as DEET.
Contact: Richard Levine
rlevine@entsoc.org
301-731-4535
Entomological Society of America
Public Release: 5-Feb-2009
Science
New paper offers key insights into how new species emerge
A new paper by University of Notre Dame reseaarchers on the apple fly and the apple wasp reveals important new clues to solving Darwin's "mystery of mysteries."
Contact: Jeffrey Feder
jfeder@nd.edu
University of Notre Dame
Oldest Human Hair Found in Hyena Poop Fossil?
The oldest known human hairs could be the strands discovered in fossil hyena poop found in a South African cave, a new study hints.
Charles Q. Choi for National Geographic News
February 6, 2009
Public Release: 7-Feb-2009
Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Meeting
Buying experiences, not possessions, leads to greater happiness
Can money make us happy if we spend it on the right purchases? A new psychology study suggests that buying life experiences rather than material possessions leads to greater happiness for both the consumer and those around them. The findings will be presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology annual meeting on Feb. 7. The study demonstrates that experiential purchases, such as a meal out or theater tickets, result in increased satisfaction and well-being.
Contact: Elaine Bible
ebible@sfsu.edu
415-405-3606
San Francisco State University
1709: The year that Europe froze
One winter in the early 18th century, it was so cold animals died in their barns, travellers froze to death, and even the Mediterranean iced over. It was Europe's coldest spell for the past 500 years
HISTORIES:  10:00 07 February 2009
Public Release: 6-Feb-2009
Journal of Pain
New guideline for prescribing opioid pain drugs published
A national panel of national pain management experts has published the first comprehensive, evidence-based clinical practice guideline to assist clinicians in prescribing potent opioid pain medications for patients with chronic non-cancer pain. The long-awaited guideline appears in the current issue of the Journal of Pain.
Contact: Tamara Hargens-Bradley
hargenst@ohsu.edu
503-494-8231
Oregon Health & Science University
Public Release: 8-Feb-2009
Nature Medicine
Growth factor protects key brain cells in Alzheimer's models
Memory loss, cognitive impairment, brain cell degeneration and cell death were prevented or reversed in several animal models after treatment with a naturally occurring protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor. The study by a University of California, San Diego-led team -- published in the Feb. 8, 2009, issue of Nature Medicine -- shows that BDNF treatment can potentially provide long-lasting protection by slowing, or even stopping the progression of Alzheimer's disease in animal models.
National Institutes of Health, California Regional Primate Research Center, Veterans Administration, Alzheimer's Association, State of California, Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Research Foundation, Shiley Family Foundation Contact: Debra Kain
ddkain@ucsd.edu
619-543-6163
University of California - San Diego
Public Release: 8-Feb-2009
Nature Neuroscience
That gut feeling may actually reflect a reliable memory
You know the feeling. You make a decision you're certain is merely a "lucky guess." A new study from Northwestern University offers electrophysiological evidence that such decisions may sometimes not be guesswork after all. The research points to the surprising accuracy of memories that can't be consciously accessed. During a special recognition test, guesses turned out to be as accurate or more accurate than when study participants thought they consciously remembered.
Contact: Pat Vaughan Tremmel
p-tremmel@northwestern.edu
847-491-4892
Northwestern University
Public Release: 8-Feb-2009
Nature Medicine
While focusing on heart disease, researchers discover new tactic against fatal muscular dystrophy
Based on a striking similarity between heart disease and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have discovered that a new class of experimental drugs for heart failure may also help treat the fatal muscular disorder.
Contact: Alex Lyda
mal2133@columbia.edu
212-305-0820
Columbia University Medical Center