Public Release: 16-Feb-2009
Journal of American College of Cardiology
Closure of patent foramen ovale may benefit migraine sufferers
Reducing the frequency and severity of disabling migraines is crucial for quality of life. A new study, published in the February 2009 issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions, finds significant improvement of migraine following catheter-based closure of patent foramen ovale -- a slight opening in the wall between the right and left atria.
Contact: Amanda Jekowsky
ajekowsk@acc.org
202-375-6645
American College of Cardiology
Diamond no longer nature's hardest material
Two minerals formed in meteorite crashes and volcanic eruptions are probably much harder than diamond – if we can ever find enough to test
13:03 16 February 2009
Gadget reads users' minds from their grip
Struggling to switch modes could be a thing of the past with gadgets that can "feel" whether you want them to be a camera, phone, or games controller
11:14 17 February 2009
Public Release: 17-Feb-2009
World Journal of Gastroenterology
Iron overload: An important co-factor in the development of liver disease in alcoholics
Heavy drinking is associated with iron overload. A research group in Portugal found an association between HFE mutations/iron overload and alcoholic liver disease.
Contact: Lin Tian
wjg@wjgnet.com
86-105-908-0039
World Journal of Gastroenterology
Public Release: 17-Feb-2009
World Journal of Gastroenterology
An adjuvant chemotherapeutic agent in gastric cancer therapy
Recently, Astragalus injection has been shown to have anticancer activity. We demonstrated the apoptosis effects of gastric cancer cell supernatant in human peritoneal mesothelial cells during peritoneal gastric cancer metastasis. And the anti-apoptosis effects of Astragalus injection in human peritoneal mesothelial cells during peritoneal gastric cancer metastasis.
Contact: Lin Tian
wjg@wjgnet.com
86-105-908-0039
World Journal of Gastroenterology
Public Release: 17-Feb-2009
Journal of General Internal Medicine
College-level documents for 8th grade readers
Patients hoping to find out about their rights are unlikely to get the information they need from hospital documents designed precisely for that purpose. In reality, patients are presented with information written in legal jargon that the majority of them can neither read nor understand. These findings by Dr. Michael Paasche-Orlow from Boston University's School of Medicine in the US, and his team, were just published online in Springer's Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Contact: Renate Bayaz
renate.bayaz@springer.com
49-622-148-78531
Springer
Public Release: 17-Feb-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Enzyme weakens the heart
An enzyme makes the mouse heart prone to chronic cardiac insufficiency -- if it is suppressed, the heart remains strong despite increased stress. Cardiologists at the Internal Medicine Clinic at Heidelberg University Hospital in cooperation with scientists at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and Goettingen University Hospital have now explained this key mechanism in a mouse model and thus discovered a promising approach for the systematic prevention of chronic cardiac insufficiency.
Contact: Dr. Johannes Backs
johannes.backs@med.uni-heidelberg.de
49-622-156-37714
University Hospital Heidelberg
Public Release: 17-Feb-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
NASA study predicted outbreak of deadly virus
An early warning system, more than a decade in development, successfully predicted the 2006-2007 outbreak of the deadly Rift Valley fever in northeast Africa, according to a new study led by NASA scientists.
NASA Contact: Sarah DeWitt
sarah.l.dewitt@nasa.gov
301-286-0535
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Public Release: 17-Feb-2009
International Neurological Society
Exploring new pathways to language
The standard of care for patients with aphasia has been intense behavioral therapy - reading and repeating words and sounds. But a new area is opening up that looks at medication to augment the success of therapy. A Temple researcher has found that a common ADHD drug can help his patients regain language skills.
Contact: Renee Cree
renee.cree@temple.edu
215-707-1583
Temple University
Public Release: 17-Feb-2009
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
When dreaming is believing: Dreams affect people's judgment, behavior
While science tries to understand the stuff dreams are made of, humans, from cultures all over the world, continue to believe that dreams contain important hidden truths, according to newly published research.
Contact: Audrey Hamilton
ahamilton@apa.org
202-336-5706
American Psychological Association
Public Release: 17-Feb-2009
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
In flurry of studies, researcher details role of apples in inhibiting breast cancer
Six studies published in the past year by a Cornell researcher add to growing evidence that an apple a day -- as well as daily helpings of other fruits and vegetables -- can help keep the breast-cancer doctor away.
American Institute for Cancer Research, Ngan Foundation, US Apple Association Contact: Nicola Pytell
nwp2@cornell.edu
607-254-6236
Cornell University
Basics
In Pain and Joy of Envy, the Brain May Play a Role
Envy is a vice few can avoid yet nobody craves.
By NATALIE ANGIER
Athletes' own blood could nurse them to health
The practice of platelet-rich plasma therapy, in which an athlete's own blood is injected into a wounded area, could improve treatment for sports injuries.By ALAN SCHWARZ
Report of 'organ tourism' stirs new Japan-China controversy
China said Tuesday it was investigating whether 17 Japanese tourists had received illegal kidney and liver transplants in China.By MARK MCDONALD
Stem cell 'cure' boy gets tumour
A boy treated with foetal stem cells for a rare genetic disease has developed benign tumours, raising questions about the therapy's safety.
18 February 2009
Hope over peanut allergy 'cure'
A group of children with peanut allergies have had their condition effectively cured, doctors believe.
20 February 2009
Skylon spaceplane gets cash boost
An innovative UK launcher concept is to get 1m euros (£900,000) of investment from the European Space Agency (Esa).By Jonathan Amos Science reporter, BBC News
19 February 2009
Public Release: 17-Feb-2009
PLoS Genetics
Forget the antioxidants? McGill researchers cast doubt on role of free radicals in aging
For more than 40 years, the prevailing explanation of why we get old has been tied to what is called oxidative stress. This theory postulates that when molecules like free radicals, oxygen ions and peroxides build up in cells, they overwhelm the cells' ability to repair the damage they cause, and the cells age. And now researchers at McGill University, in a study published in the February issue of the journal PLoS Genetics, are calling the entire oxidative stress theory into question.
Contact: Mark Shainblum
mark.shainblum@mcgill.ca
514-398-2189
McGill University
Public Release: 17-Feb-2009
2009 AAAS Annual Meeting
Anthropologist's studies of childbirth bring new focus on women in evolution
Contrary to the TV sitcom where the wife experiencing strong labor pains screams at her husband to stay away from her, women rarely give birth alone. Assisted birth has likely been around for millennia, possibly dating as far back as 5 million years ago when our ancestors first began walking upright, according to University of Delaware paleoanthropologist Karen Rosenberg. She says that social assistance during childbirth is just one aspect of our evolutionary heritage that makes us distinctive as humans.
Contact: Tracey Bryant
tbryant@udel.edu
302-831-8185
University of Delaware
Public Release: 18-Feb-2009
2009 International Stroke Conference
Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association
Stroke patients who reach hospitals within 'golden hour' twice as likely to get clot-busting drug
Stroke patients who reach the hospital within one hour of symptoms receive a clot-busting drug twice as often as those arriving later. Researchers call the first hour of symptom onset "the golden hour." The study reviewed patients from hospitals participating in the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines–Stroke program. The study reinforces the importance of reacting quickly to stroke symptoms because "time lost is brain lost."
American Heart Association Contact: Bridgette McNeill
bridgette.mcneill@heart.org
214-706-1396
American Heart Association
Public Release: 18-Feb-2009
2009 International Stroke Conference
Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association
Young adult stroke patients may be misdiagnosed in ER
Stroke patients under age 50 may be misdiagnosed in the emergency rooms -- missing out on important time-sensitive treatment. Some are misdiagnosed with vertigo, migraine or alcohol intoxication. Researchers said people under 50 with "seemingly trivial" symptoms such as vertigo and nausea should be assessed meticulously by emergency room staff.
Contact: Bridgette McNeill
cathy.lewis@heart.org
214-706-1396
American Heart Association
Public Release: 18-Feb-2009
Journal of Forensic Sciences
'Suicide by cop' phenomenon occurring in over a third of North American shootings involving police
"Suicide by cop" is a suicide method in which a person engages in actual or apparent danger to others in an attempt to get oneself killed or injured by law enforcement. A new study in the Journal of Forensic Sciences examined the prevalence of this phenomenon among a large sample of officer-involved shootings.
Contact: Amy Molnar
professionalnews@bos.blackwellpublishing.net
201-748-8844
Wiley-Blackwell
First liquid water may have been spotted on Mars
NASA's Phoenix lander may have captured the first images of liquid water on Mars - droplets that apparently splashed onto the spacecraft's leg during landing, according to some members of the Phoenix team.
01:16 18 February 2009 by David Shiga
Natural antifreeze may keep Mars running with water
THERE'S nothing like a little antifreeze to thaw out a frozen planet. Thanks to chemicals called perchlorates, liquid water may play a bigger role on Mars than expected, which is good news for the search for life.
18 February 2009 by David Shiga
'iTunes university' better than the real thing
Students that listened to podcasts of lectures got better exam results than those who attend in person, a study finds
16:35 18 February 2009
Public Release: 19-Feb-2009
Science
Billions of years ago, microbes were key in developing modern nitrogen cycle
New research shows that the large-scale evolution of microbes was mostly complete 2.5 billion years ago, and that included the beginning of the modern aerobic nitrogen cycle.
NASA, National Science Foundation Contact: Vince Stricherz
vinces@u.washington.edu
206-543-2580
University of Washington
Public Release: 19-Feb-2009
2009 International Stroke Conference
Clot-buster boosts survival, decreases disability for deadly subset of stroke
New results from a multicenter study led by Johns Hopkins show that patients who got an experimental clot-busting treatment for a particularly lethal form of stroke were not only dramatically more likely to survive but also continued to shed lingering disabilities six months later.
Contact: Christen Brownlee
cbrownl5@jhmi.edu
410-955-7832
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Public Release: 19-Feb-2009
2009 International Stroke Conference
Study shows ultrasound and tPA effective for stroke
An experimental therapy using tiny bubbles activated by transcranial doppler ultrasound combined with the clot busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is more effective than tPA alone in treating patients suffering from ischemic stroke, according to new research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference in San Diego.
ImaRX Therapeutics Contact: Bob Shepard
bshep@uab.edu
205-934-8934
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Public Release: 19-Feb-2009
World Journal of Gastroenterology
What is the most effective therapy for low-dose aspirin induced peptic ulcer?
A research group from Japan investigated the usefulness of anti-ulcer drugs for the prevention and treatment of low-dose aspirin induced peptic ulcer. They found that H2 receptor antagonist therapy was effective for both the prevention and treatment of low-dose aspirin induced peptic ulcer, similar to the effects of (proton pump inhibitors) PPIs, while cytoprotective anti-ulcer drugs were ineffective in preventing ulceration.
Contact: Lai-Fu Li
wjg@wjgnet.com
86-105-908-0039
World Journal of Gastroenterology
Blogging on Peer-Reviewed Research
The upside of herpes - when one infection protects against another
When people say that every cloud has a silver lining, they probably aren't thinking about herpes at the time. Herpes may be unpleasant, but the viruses that cause it and related diseases could have a bright side. In mice at least, they provide resistance against bacteria, including the bubonic plague.
February 21, 2009 12:00 PM, by Ed Yong
Public Release: 19-Feb-2009
Cell Host & Microbe
Malaria parasite zeroes in on molecule to enhance its survival, team finds
A team of researchers from Princeton University and the Drexel University College of Medicine has found that the parasite that causes malaria breaks down an important amino acid in its quest to adapt and thrive within the human body. By depleting this substance called arginine, the parasite may trigger a more critical and deadlier phase of the disease. The work may point the way to better treatments.
Burroughs Wellcome Fund, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Contact: Kitta MacPherson
kittamac@princeton.edu
609-258-5729
Princeton University
Public Release: 19-Feb-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Scripps Research study shows how microscopic changes to brain cause schizophrenic behavior in mice
Disrupting the function of a key molecule in the brain leads to microscopic brain abnormalities and schizophrenia-like behavior in mice. These abnormalities are similar to those seen in the autopsied brains of people who diagnosed with schizophrenia in life, according to a team of scientists at the Scripps Research Institute.
National Institutes of Health, Christopher Reeve Foundation, American Health Assistant Foundation, Basque Government Contact: Keith McKeown
kmckeown@scripps.edu
858-784-8134
Scripps Research Institute
Public Release: 19-Feb-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
How Volvox got its groove
Ancestors of the alga Volvox made the transition from the solitary life of a single-celled organism to that of a multicellular colony much earlier than previously thought, according to new research from the University of Arizona in Tucson. Studying how algae made the leap provides clues to how organisms such as plants and animals evolved from single-celled ancestors. Mediating conflict between the cooperating cells is the key.
Society of Systematic Biologists, Sigma Xi Contact: Mari N. Jensen
mnjensen@email.arizona.edu
520-626-9635
University of Arizona
Public Release: 19-Feb-2009
Elementary School Journal
Study finds inconsistent teaching quality in first grade classrooms
A nationwide study of first grade classrooms finds that while many teachers create positive social environments in the classroom, most provide inadequate instructional support. The report is published in the March issue of The Elementary School Journal.
Contact: Kevin Stacey
kstacey@press.uchicago.edu
773-834-0386
University of Chicago Press Journals
MMR vaccine not linked to autism, says US court
The Court of Federal Claims ruled against three families who claimed that the MMR vaccine, along with a mercury-based preservative, caused their children's autismUPFRONT:  09:57 20 February 2009
Public Release: 19-Feb-2009
Science
NASA's Fermi telescope sees most extreme gamma-ray blast yet
The first gamma-ray burst to be seen in high-resolution from NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is one for the record books. The blast had the greatest total energy, the fastest motions and the highest-energy initial emissions ever seen.
NASA Contact: Francis Reddy
Francis.j.reddy@nasa.gov
301-286-4453
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Public Release: 19-Feb-2009
Cell Death & Differentiation
A revolutionary new model for Alzheimer's disease
Is there something missing from the conventional theory that Alzheimer's is a disease of toxicity -- based on the accumulation of sticky amyloid plaques in the brain? Research from the Buck Institute focuses on Alzheimer's as a nerve signaling disorder that occurs when there's an imbalance in the making and breaking of memories. The discovery of a naturally occurring brain protein, Netrin-1, offers a new target for therapeutics.
Contact: Kris Rebillot
krebillot@buckinstitute.org
415-717-3268
Buck Institute for Age Research
Public Release: 20-Feb-2009
Journal of Urology
When should prostate-specific antigen testing be stopped?
In a study published in the April 2009 issue of the Journal of Urology, researchers found that in a subgroup of elderly men, among those who were 75 years old or older and had a PSA below 3 ng/ml, none subsequently died of prostate cancer. The discontinuation of routine PSA screening in these men may not increase the rates of undetected lethal disease, and could avoid potentially unnecessary treatments and reduce diagnostic costs.
Contact: Linda Gruner
jumedia@elsevier.com
212-633-3923
Elsevier Health Sciences
Public Release: 20-Feb-2009
The Ecologist
Abandon hope
Do you "hope" that everyone will see the light and start living more sustainably to save the environment? If so, you may be doing more harm than good.
Contact: Jennifer Donovan
jdonovan@mtu.edu
906-487-4521
Michigan Technological University
Public Release: 20-Feb-2009
Psychological Science
If it's hard to say, it must be risky
Will a product's name and how easy it is to pronounce, affect how we view the product? In a new study reported in Psychological Science, psychologists from the University of Michigan present evidence that we if have problems pronouncing something, we will consider it to be risky.
Contact: Barbara Isanski
bisanski@psychologicalscience.org
Association for Psychological Science
Public Release: 20-Feb-2009
Psychological Science
Is difficult better? Study reveals we tend to ignore simple items while pursuing goals
When we are pursuing a goal, we need to carefully consider the best ways of achieving it. If we come across something very difficult, how will that affect our ability to meet our goal? A new study in Psychological Science reveals that when something is difficult, we tend to believe that because it is difficult, it must be important in helping us achieve our goals.
Contact: Barbara Isanski
bisanski@psychologicalscience.org
Association for Psychological Science
Computer components shrinking faster than predicted
Four square inches of a new memory material could store all the books in the US Library of Congress, while a novel technique could create transistors 1000 times smaller than those in use today
18:06 20 February 2009
Public Release: 20-Feb-2009
NASA's Swift spies Comet Lulin
While waiting for high-energy outbursts and cosmic explosions, NASA's Swift Gamma-ray Explorer satellite is monitoring Comet Lulin as it closes on Earth. For the first time, astronomers are seeing simultaneous ultraviolet and X-ray images of a comet.
NASA, University of Leicester Contact: Francis Reddy
Francis.j.reddy@nasa.gov
301-286-4453
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Quark star may hold secret to early universe
A type of star never seen before may have formed from the leftovers of a nearby bright supernova
THIS WEEK:  15:22 21 February 2009