Public Release: 9-Mar-2009
Society of Interventional Radiology 34th Annual Scientific Meeting
Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology
Freezing prostate cancer does a man's body good
The so-called "male lumpectomy" -- a minimally invasive interventional radiology treatment for prostate cancer -- is as effective as surgery in destroying diseased tumors and can be considered a first-line treatment for patients of all risk levels and particularly those who have failed radiation, according to studies released at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 34th Annual Scientific Meeting.
Contact: Maryann Verrillo
mverrillo@SIRweb.org
703-460-5572
Society of Interventional Radiology
Public Release: 9-Mar-2009
Society of Interventional Radiology 34th Annual Scientific Meeting
Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology
Oh, my aching back: Give me a shot of ozone
A minimally invasive interventional radiology treatment -- that safely and effectively uses oxygen/ozone to relieve the pain of herniated disks -- will become standard in the United States in the next few years, predict researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 34th Annual Scientific Meeting. In a related study, the interventional radiologists examined just how ozone relieves the pain associated with herniated disks.
Contact: Maryann Verrillo
mverrillo@SIRweb.org
703-460-5572
Society of Interventional Radiology
Zoo chimp 'planned' stone attacks
A male chimpanzee in a Swedish zoo planned hundreds of stone-throwing attacks on zoo visitors, according to researchers.
Public Release: 9-Mar-2009
9 March 2009
Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention
Red wine vs. white? It makes no difference when it comes to breast-cancer risk
The largest study of its kind to evaluate the effect of red vs. white wine on breast cancer risk concludes that both are equal offenders when it comes to increasing breast cancer risk.
NIH/National Cancer Institute
Contact: Kristen Lidke Woodward
kwoodwar@fhcrc.org
206-667-5095
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Public Release: 9-Mar-2009
PLoS Medicine
Children of older fathers perform less well in intelligence tests during infancy
Children of older fathers perform less well in a range of cognitive tests during infancy and early childhood, according to a study published this week in the open-access journal PLoS Medicine.
Contact: Andrew Hyde
press@plos.org
44-122-346-3330
Public Library of Science
'Hair blindness' likely to exist in humans
Men have another excuse for failing to notice their partner's new coiffure – new research hints that some people may be blind to the characteristics of hair
11:23 09 March 2009
Public Release: 9-Mar-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Tiny brain region better part of valor
Piece of hypothalamus is key to animals' fear of territorial rivals and predators, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Without it, animals lose all sense of caution.
Contact: Carl Marziali
marziali@usc.edu
213-740-4751
University of Southern California
Public Release: 9-Mar-2009
PLoS Biology
What drove the cow mad? Lessons from a tiny fish
Scientists have known for some time that a normal protein in the brain, prion protein (PrP), can turn harmful and cause deadly illnesses like CJD in humans, and BSE in cattle. What they could not explain is why this normal protein is produced by our bodies. In this week's PLoS Biology, researchers reveal that PrP  indeed plays a beneficial role for the organism -- PrP helps cells communicate with one another during embryonic development.
Contact: Sally Hubbard
press@plos.org
Public Library of Science
Public Release: 9-Mar-2009
Journal of Psychopharmacology
Ecstasy could help patients with post-traumatic stress disorder
Ecstasy may help suffers of post-traumatic stress learn to deal with their memories more effectively by encouraging a feeling of safety, according to an article in the Journal of Psychopharmacology published today by SAGE.
Research Council of Norway
Contact: Mithu Mukherjee
mithu.mukherjee@sagepub.co.uk
44-020-732-42223
SAGE Publications UK
Public Release: 9-Mar-2009
Plant Physiology
Novel electric signals in plants
Scientists at the Justus Liebig University of Gießen and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena discovered a new form of electrical signaling in different plant species. This electrical signal -- called "system potential" -- is induced by wounding of the plant tissue and then passed from leaf to leaf.
Contact: Hubert H. Felle
hubert.felle@bio.uni-giessen.de
49-064-199-35126
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
Public Release: 9-Mar-2009
Chest
Helium helps lung patients breathe easier
New research published in the international journal Chest, by Neil Eves, Ph.D., finds that people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who breathed a mix of 60 percent helium and 40 percent oxygen during a rehabilitation program were able to exercise longer and harder than those who breathed normal air.
Contact: Don McSwiney
don.mcswiney@ucalgary.ca
403-220-7652
University of Calgary
Regulate armed robots before it's too late
COMMENTARY:  10:13 10 March 2009
We need to think about the dangers of autonomous machines before it's too late, says A C Grayling
Public Release: 10-Mar-2009
Society of Interventional Radiology 34th Annual Scientific Meeting
Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology
Simple test helps predict heart attack risk
The use of common and readily available screening tests -- like the ankle brachial index -- along with traditional risk scoring systems -- such as the Framingham Risk Score -- has the potential to prevent devastating heart attacks in thousands of individuals who are not originally thought to be at high risk (according to Framingham alone), say researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 34th Annual Scientific Meeting.
Contact: Maryann Verrillo
mverrillo@SIRweb.org
703-460-5572
Society of Interventional Radiology
Public Release: 10-Mar-2009
JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association
Diagnostic errors: The new focus of patient safety experts
Johns Hopkins patient safety experts say it's high time for diagnostic errors to get the same attention from medical institutions and caregivers as drug-prescribing errors, wrong-site surgeries and hospital-acquired infections.
Contact: Christen Brownlee
cbrownlee@jhmi.edu
410-955-7832
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Public Release: 10-Mar-2009
Public Works Management and Policy
Brighten up! Paint study could save states millions
A new study from North Carolina State University shows that painted road markings, such as the lines separating traffic lanes, are significantly better at reflecting headlights in the direction that the paint was applied. This finding will help determine how states comply with new federal safety regulations and save big money on painting their roadways.
North Carolina Department of Transportation
Contact: Matt Shipman
matt_shipman@ncsu.edu
919-515-6386
North Carolina State University
Public Release: 10-Mar-2009
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
A simple balance test may predict cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease
A simple balance test may predict cognitive decline in Alzheimer's Disease, according to a study published in the March 2009 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Contact: Astrid Engelen
a.engelen@iospress.nl
31-206-883-355
IOS Press
Public Release: 10-Mar-2009
Structure
Study of protein structures reveals key events in evolutionary history
A new study of proteins, the molecular machines that drive all life, also sheds light on the history of living organisms.
Contact: Diana Yates, Life Sciences Editor
diya@illinois.edu
217-333-5802
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Life could have survived Earth's early pounding
Microbes living deep underground could have survived the barrage of impacts that blasted the Earth 3.9 billion years ago, a new study concludes
15:19 10 March 2009
Public Release: 10-Mar-2009
Physiology and Behavior
Study suggests salt might be 'nature's antidepressant'
Most people consume far too much salt, and a University of Iowa researcher has discovered one potential reason we crave it: it might put us in a better mood.
Contact: Nicole Riehl
nicole-riehl@uiowa.edu
319-384-0070
University of Iowa
Public Release: 10-Mar-2009
Respiratory Medicine
'Suspending asthma treatment a bad option for expectant mothers': Study
Pregnant women suffering from asthma run a greater risk of giving birth prematurely if they suspend their asthma treatments. According to a University of Montreal study, published in Respiratory Medicine, the probability of suffering from hypertension during pregnancy also increases for women who interrupt their asthma treatment.
Contact: Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins
sylvain-jacques.desjardins@umontreal.ca
514-343-7593
University of Montreal
Public Release: 10-Mar-2009
Psychological Science
Is that your final answer? Study suggests method for improving individual decisions
What if there is no one else around to consult with before making a judgment - how can we be confident that we are giving a good answer? A new study suggests that "dialectical bootstrapping" (that is, thinking about why your own answer might be incorrect and then averaging across estimates) may be an effective strategy in helping us come up with better answers to many types of problems.
Contact: Barbara Isanski
bisanski@psychologicalscience.org
Association for Psychological Science
Eight scientists who became their own guinea pigs
11:45 11 March 2009
Don't try this at home: these stories of researchers experimenting on themselves are extraordinary, occasionally disgusting, and also exceedingly dangerous
18 and Under
Distractions May Shift, but Sleep Needs Don’t
What is the best time to put your child to bed?
By PERRI KLASS, M.D.
Really?
The Claim: Daylight Saving Time Can Affect Your Health
Is the annual loss of an hour messing with your circadian rhythm?
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
Genetic Tests May Reveal Source of Mystery Tumors
Tests to find the source of “mystery tumors” may help doctors treat them more effectively.
By ANDREW POLLACK
* Health Guide: Cancer
Public Release: 11-Mar-2009
American Heart Association's 49th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology
Circulation
Consuming a little less salt could mean fewer deaths
A moderate decrease in daily salt intake could benefit the US population and reduce the rates of heart disease and deaths. All segments of the US population would be expected to benefit, with the largest health benefits experienced by African Americans who are more likely to have hypertension and whose blood pressure may be more sensitive to salt.
University of California San Francisco
Contact: Karen Astle
karen.astle@heart.org
214-706-1392
American Heart Association
Public Release: 11-Mar-2009
Nature
MIT battery material could lead to rapid recharging of many devices
MIT engineers have created a kind of beltway that allows for the rapid transit of electrical energy through a well-known battery material, an advance that could usher in smaller, lighter batteries -- for cell phones and other devices -- that could recharge in seconds rather than hours.
National Science Foundation, US Department of Energy
Contact: Elizabeth Thomson
thomson@mit.edu
617-258-5402
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Public Release: 11-Mar-2009
PLoS ONE
Research supports toxoplasmosis link to schizophrenia
Scientists have discovered how the toxoplasmosis parasite may trigger the development of schizophrenia and other bipolar disorders.
Stanley Medical Research Institute
Contact: Jo Kelly
jokelly@campuspr.co.uk
44-113-258-9880
University of Leeds
Public Release: 11-Mar-2009
Cancer Research
Iron induces death in tumor cells
Tumor cells and healthy cells differ considerably in metabolism intensity. Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center have taken advantage of this difference; by releasing cellular iron, they were able to induce death selectively in tumor cells.
Wilhelm Sander Stiftung, German Research Foundation, European Union
Contact: Dr. Sibylle Kohlstädt
s.kohlstaedt@dkfz.de
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
Public Release: 11-Mar-2009
Journal of General Internal Medicine
BMC researchers find that single question can identify unhealthy alcohol use in patients
Researchers at Boston Medical Center have found that a single-screening question recommended by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism accurately identifies unhealthy alcohol use in primary-care patients. This research supports the use of the brief screen in the primary-care setting. The BMC study appears online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Contact: Michelle Roberts
michelle.roberts@bmc.org
617-638-8491
Boston University
Public Release: 11-Mar-2009
EMBO Journal
Researchers discover a new pathway that regulates inflammation
Researchers at the University of Illinois have identified a novel pathway that controls the activity of a key protein involved in inflammation. Their findings could have important implications for the treatment of diseases or conditions linked to chronic inflammation.
Contact: Kaushik Ragunathan
diya@illinois.edu
217-333-5802
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Public Release: 11-Mar-2009
PLoS ONE
Los Alamos researchers create 'map of science'
Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists have produced the world's first Map of Science -- a high-resolution graphic depiction of the virtual trails scientists leave behind when they retrieve information from online services. The research, led by Johan Bollen, appears this week in PLoS ONE.
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Contact: James E. Rickman
jamesr@lanl.gov
505-665-9203
DOE/Los Alamos National Laboratory
Public Release: 12-Mar-2009
Current Biology
'Mind-reading' experiment highlights how brain records memories
It may be possible to "read" a person's memories just by looking at brain activity, according to research carried out by Wellcome Trust scientists. In a study published today in the journal Current Biology, they show that our memories are recorded in regular patterns, a finding which challenges current scientific thinking.
Wellcome Trust
Contact: Craig Brierley
c.brierley@wellcome.ac.uk
44-020-761-17329
Wellcome Trust
Public Release: 12-Mar-2009
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
Estrogen activates critical lung genes to improve lung function following preterm birth
Estrogen may be a new postnatal therapy to improve lung function and other outcomes in preterm infants, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in an animal study.
Contact: Erin Prather Stafford
erin.pratherstafford@utsouthwestern.edu
214-648-3404
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Public Release: 12-Mar-2009
Lancet
First-in-class compound proves safe, tolerable in preventing blood clots
A new drug derived from magnolia trees appears to be able to uncouple two important functions of thrombin in blood clot formation and may offer a way to better control the potentially dangerous complications of bleeding and clot formation during procedures to open blocked coronary arteries, say researchers at the Duke Clinical Research Institute.
Schering-Plough
Contact: Michelle Gailiun
michelle.gailiun@duke.edu
919-660-1306
Duke University Medical Center
Public Release: 12-Mar-2009
International Stroke Conference
Weighing the options after life-altering stroke
Choosing to have aggressive brain surgery after suffering a severe stroke generally improves the patients' lives and allows them to live longer, according to research by neurologists at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Contact: Tom Rickey
tom_rickey@urmc.rochester.edu
585-275-7954
University of Rochester Medical Center
Public Release: 12-Mar-2009
PS: Political Science & Politics
Why should Iowa remain the first presidential primary?
A new study finds that Iowa reflects the diversity of America more than most other US states and is well-placed to deserve its status as the first presidential nomination primary. In particular, Iowa is particularly typical of the US in economic and social terms.
Contact: Bahram Rajaee
brajaee@apsanet.org
202-483-2512
American Political Science Association
Public Release: 12-Mar-2009
Cell Transplantation
Multiple route bone marrow stem cell injections show promise to treat spinal cord injury
A joint American and Ecuadorian research team has found that injecting a patient's own bone marrow cells directly into the spinal column using multiple routes was effective in treating spinal cord injury, returning some quality of life but without serious adverse events. Improved blood flow and oxygen supply may have contributed to the success, even for a gunshot wound victim. Functional improvements, including improved bladder control, were observed.
Junta de Beneficencia de Guayaquil, DaVinci BioSciences
Contact: Dr. Francisco Silva
fsilva@dvbiosciences.com
Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair
Crab chemical could give cars a self-healing 'shell'
A new kind of polyurethane is able to heal scratches to its surface when exposed to sunlight and could be used to make self-healing paint
18:00 12 March 2009
Paradoxical gene causes and protects against Alzheimer's
A gene mutation found to cause Alzheimer's disease when inherited from both parents may protect against the disease when only one copy is inherited
18:00 12 March 2009
Device turns pink before you do
Researchers have developed an indicator that turns an appropriate shade of pink to alert wearers of sunburn.
By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC News
12 March 2009
Public Release: 12-Mar-2009
'Fridges and washing machines liberated women': researcher
The advent of modern appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators had a profound impact on 20th century society, according to a new Université de Montréal study. Plug-in conveniences transformed women's lives and enabled them to enter the workforce, says Professor Emanuela Cardia, from the Department of Economics.
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, FQRSC
Contact: Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins
sylvain-jacques.desjardins@umontreal.ca
514-343-7593
University of Montreal
Public Release: 12-Mar-2009
PLoS Biology
Rabies deaths from dog bites could be eliminated
Someone in the developing world – particularly in rural Africa -- dies from a rabid dog bite every 10 minutes. But global elimination of this horrific disease appears to be possible, according to a team which includes scientists from McMaster University, Britain and the United States.
National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, National Science Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, Leverhulme Trust, Heinz Foundation, Wellcome Trust
Contact: Veronica McGuire
vmcguir@mcmaster.ca
90-552-591-402-169
McMaster University
Public Release: 13-Mar-2009
Chemical Geology
Fledgling mantle plume may be cause of African volcano's unique lava
Nyiragongo, an active African volcano, possesses lava unlike any other in the world, which may point toward its source being a new mantle plume says a University of Rochester geochemist. The lava composition indicates that a mantle plume -- an upwelling of intense heat from near the core of the Earth -- may be bubbling to life beneath the soil of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The findings are presented in the current issue of the journal Chemical Geology.
National Science Foundation
Contact: Jonathan Sherwood
jonathan.sherwood@rochester.edu
585-273-4726
University of Rochester
Public Release: 13-Mar-2009
Science
University of Pennsylvania researchers find that the unexpected is a key to human learning
The human brain's sensitivity to unexpected outcomes plays a fundamental role in the ability to adapt and learn new behaviors, according to a new study by a team of psychologists and neuroscientists from the University of Pennsylvania.
National Institutes of Health, Conte Center, Dana Foundation
Contact: Jordan Reese
jreese@upenn.edu
215-573-6604
University of Pennsylvania
Public Release: 15-Mar-2009
American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology
Studies show children can complete treatment for peanut allergies and achieve long-term tolerance
A carefully administered daily dose of peanuts has been so successful as a therapy for peanut allergies that a select group of children is now off treatment and eating peanuts daily, report doctors at Duke University Medical Center and Arkansas Children's Hospital.
National Institutes of Health, Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, Food Allergy Project, Gerber Foundation, Robins Family Foundation
Contact: Debbe Geiger
Debbe.Geiger@duke.edu
919-660-9461
Duke University Medical Center
Public Release: 15-Mar-2009
Nature
A natural approach for HIV vaccine
By harnessing the natural immune response in "slow progressing" HIV patients, researchers suggest that an effective HIV vaccine may come from a shotgun approach using of a wide range of natural antibodies, rather than from an engineered magic bullet.
National Institutes of Health, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
Contact: Brett Norman
bnorman@rockefeller.edu
212-327-7613
Rockefeller University
Public Release: 16-Mar-2009
Acta Palaeontologica Polonica
Young dinosaurs roamed together, died together
A herd of young birdlike dinosaurs met their death on the muddy margins of a lake some 90 million years ago, according to a team of Chinese and American paleontologists that excavated the site in the Gobi Desert in western Inner Mongolia. The sudden death of the herd in a mud trap provides a rare snapshot of social behavior.
National Geographic Society, David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Contact: Steve Koppes
skoppes@uchicago.edu
773-702-8366
University of Chicago
Monkeys 'teach infants to floss'
Making sure your offspring know how to clean their teeth appears to be as important to monkeys as to humans.
12 March 2009