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Your Looks, Creditworthiness May Go Hand In Hand, At Least In The Eyes Of Some Lenders
New research suggests that a person’s appearance may play a role in whether they are deemed trustworthy by financial lenders.
ScienceDaily
Mar. 15, 2009
Public Release: 16-Mar-2009
Canadian Medical Association Journal
Fish consumption guidelines not environmentally sustainable
Recommendations to increase fish consumption because of health benefits may not be environmentally sustainable and more research is needed to clarify the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, write Dr. David Jenkins of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and coauthors in an analysis in CMAJ.
Contact: Kim Barnhardt
kim.barnhardt@cmaj.ca
613-731-8610 x2224
Canadian Medical Association Journal
Public Release: 16-Mar-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition
Mini dinosaurs prowled North America
Massive predators like Albertosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex may have been at the top of the food chain, but they were not the only meat-eating dinosaurs to roam North America, according to Canadian researchers who have discovered the smallest dinosaur species on the continent to date. Their work is also helping re-draw the picture of North America's ecosystem at the height of the dinosaur age 75 million years ago.
Contact: Grady Semmens
gsemmens@ucalgary.ca
403-220-7722
University of Calgary
Public Release: 16-Mar-2009
Archives of Dermatology
Wet combing more accurate than visual inspection for identifying active head lice infestation
Combing through a child's wet hair may lead to more accurate identification of active head lice infestation than visual inspection, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. However, visual inspection may yield a more precise assessment of the number of children who have eggs or nits (larvae) in their hair.
Contact: Hermann Feldmeier, M.D., Ph.D.
hermann.feldmeier@charite.de
JAMA and Archives Journals
Public Release: 16-Mar-2009
Annals of Neurology
First treatment for muscular dystrophy in sight: Scientists successfully harness exon-skipping
Genetic researchers at Children's National Medical Center and the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry in Tokyo published the results of the first successful application of "multiple exon-skipping" to curb the devastating effects of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in an animal larger than a mouse. Multiple exon-skipping employs multiple DNA-like molecules as a "DNA band-aids" to skip over the parts of the mutated gene that block the effective creation of proteins.
Foundation to Eradicate Duchenne, NIH/Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Research Centers, Jain Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare in Japan, others
Contact: Jennifer Leischer
jleische@cnmc.org
202-476-4500
Children's National Medical Center
Public Release: 16-Mar-2009
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Microscope reveals how bacteria 'breathe' toxic metals
Researchers are studying some common soil bacteria that "inhale" toxic metals and "exhale" them in a nontoxic form. The bacteria might one day be used to clean up toxic chemicals left over from nuclear weapons production decades ago.
Contact: Brian Lower
Lower.30@osu.edu
614-247-1676
Ohio State University
Public Release: 16-Mar-2009
Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention
First sister study results reinforce the importance of healthy living
Women who maintain a healthy weight and who have lower perceived stress may be less likely to have chromosome changes associated with aging than obese and stressed women, according to a pilot study that was part of the Sister Study. The long-term sister study is looking at the environmental and genetic characteristics of women whose sister had breast cancer to identify factors associated with developing breast cancer. This early pilot used baseline questionnaires and samples provided by participants when they joined the sister study.
NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Contact: Robin Mackar
rmackar@niehs.nih.gov
919-541-0073
NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Watery asteroids may explain why life is 'left-handed'
Soggy space rocks that hit Earth billions of years ago may help explain a long-standing mystery -- why life preferentially uses left-handed amino acids
21:00 16 March 2009
Personality tests reveal the flip side of comedy
Climbing up on stage to tell jokes to a bunch of strangers may seem like the most extroverted of activities, but comedians have revealed a surprising shy side
21:41 16 March 2009
Public Release: 16-Mar-2009
Researchers find sustained improvement in health in Experience Corps tutors over 55
Tutors over 55 who help young students on a regular basis experience positive physical and mental health outcomes, according to studies released by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Contact: Jessica Martin
jessica_martin@wustl.edu
314-935-5251
Washington University in St. Louis
Public Release: 17-Mar-2009
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Study shows moderate intensity walking means 100 steps per minute
It is recommended that people engage in 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity daily, 5 times a week. Pedometers, widely used as a monitoring tool, are unable to measure activity intensity. Researchers have determined that a rate of at least 100 steps/minute achieves moderate intensity activity. A simple recommendation of 3000 steps in 30 minutes can get people started on a meaningful exercise program. The study is published in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Contact: AJPM Editorial Office
eAJPM@ucsd.edu
858-534-9340
Elsevier Health Sciences
Public Release: 17-Mar-2009
JAMA
Use of religious coping associated with receiving intensive medical care near death
Patients with advanced cancer who used their religious faith to help cope were more likely to receive intensive life-prolonging medical care such as mechanical ventilation or cardiopulmonary resuscitation during their last week of life, according to a study in the March 18 issue of JAMA.
Contact: Teresa Herbert
teresa_herbert@dfci.harvard.edu
617-632-5653
JAMA and Archives Journals
Public Release: 17-Mar-2009
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Frankincense oil -- a wise man's remedy for bladder cancer
Originating from Africa, India and the Middle East, frankincense oil has been found to have many medicinal benefits. Now, an enriched extract of the Somalian Frankincense herb Boswellia carteri has been shown to kill off bladder cancer cells. Research presented in the open-access journal, BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, demonstrates that this herb has the potential for an alternative therapy for bladder cancer.
Contact: Charlotte Webber
charlotte.webber@biomedcentral.com
44-207-631-9980
BioMed Central
Public Release: 17-Mar-2009
Palaeontology
Cretaceous octopus with ink and suckers -- the world's least likely fossils?
New finds of 95-million-year-old fossils reveal much earlier origins of modern octopuses. These are among the rarest and most unlikely of fossils. The chances of an octopus corpse surviving long enough to be fossilized are so small that prior to this discovery only a single fossil species was known, and from fewer specimens than octopuses have legs.
Contact: Dr. Dirk Fuchs
drig@zedat.fu-berlin.de
352-462-240-203
The Palaeontological Association
Public Release: 17-Mar-2009
PLoS ONE
Brothers in arms
Influenza, or flu, is an unpleasant affair with fever, cough, as well as head and body ache. When this illness is further complicated by a bacterial pneumonia, a harmful super-infection develops. Until now, researchers thought that the flu facilitates an infection with pneumonia bacteria because it leads to a decrease of immune cells in the blood and thus impairs the body's defenses.
Contact: Dr. Bastian Dornbach
bad@helmholtz-hzi.de
49-053-161-811-407
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
'Consciousness signature' discovered spanning the brain
Signals from electrodes implanted in people's brains seem to show that consciousness arises from the coordinated activity of the entire brain
00:00 17 March 2009
Fossil of 'ultimate predator' unearthed in Arctic
A huge and fearsome marine pliosaur with a skull twice the size of T.Rex's and a mouthful of foot-long teeth once swam in Arctic waters
15:44 17 March 2009
Public Release: 17-Mar-2009
Synthesizing the most natural of all skin creams
While occupying a watery environment, the newborn manages to develop a skin fully equipped to protect it in the world. A protective cream called Vernix caseosa (VC) aids in the growth of babies' skin in utero, and helps to hydrate and heal skin after birth. Researchers at Leiden University have produced a synthetic version which shows the same unique properties. As well as helping pre-term babies, artificial VC could also benefit sufferers of skin disease.
Contact: Montserrat Capellas
capellas@esrf.fr
33-476-882-663
European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
Public Release: 17-Mar-2009
Journal of Product Innovation Management
Studies show that nice guys finish first in business world
When it comes to leading a team tasked with developing new products and bringing them to market, new research from North Carolina State University shows that being nice and playing well with others gives you a very real competitive advantage. One study shows that managers can get better performance from their team when they treat members with honesty and respect. Another study shows product developers can reap major benefits from informal socializing with their suppliers.
Contact: Matt Shipman
matt_shipman@ncsu.edu
919-515-6386
North Carolina State University
Public Release: 17-Mar-2009
American Physical Society's March Meeting
Better by design: Engineering flu vaccines
Rice University scientists will discuss a new computerized method of testing the effectiveness of both bird flu and seasonal flu vaccines at the American Physical Society's meeting in Pittsburgh this week. Tests suggest the computerized approach can better identify vaccines that are effective against multiple flu strains. Data from bird flu outbreaks and more than 30 years of seasonal flu records were used to confirm the findings.
Contact: Jade Boyd
jadeboyd@rice.edu
713-348-6778
Rice University
Public Release: 17-Mar-2009
Annals of Internal Medicine
Aspirin recommendation underscores need for physicians and patients to discuss benefits and risk
The President of the American College of Preventive Medicine commended the US Preventive Services Task Force today for its recommendations on aspirin use for primary prevention of heart attack and stroke, released in the March 17 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, citing its improved specificity over previous guidelines.
Contact: David Shih, M.D., M.S.
dshih@acpm.org
202-466-2044 x105
American College of Preventive Medicine
Really?
The Claim: Hay Fever Can Lead to Other Allergies
With spring just around the corner, millions of hay fever sufferers are gearing up for another season of sneezing, sniffling and congestion. But many hay fever sufferers are unaware that a pollen allergy can result in an allergy to fruits and vegetables, known as oral allergy syndrome.
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR Published: March 16, 2009
Personal Health
No Single Path for Cancer Care in Elderly
There is little information to help elderly cancer patients decide between aggressively treating their cancer or taking a wait-and-see approach.
By JANE E. BRODY Published: March 16, 2009
Prostate Test Found to Save Few Lives
The popular PSA test saves few lives and seems to expose men to unnecessary treatment, two new studies say.
* Health Guide: Prostate Cancer
By GINA KOLATA
Public Release: 18-Mar-2009
Nature
Earth's crust melts easier than previously thought
A University of Missouri study published in Nature this week has found that the Earth's crust melts easier than previously thought. Researchers measured how well rocks conduct heat at different temperatures and found that as rocks get hotter in the Earth's crust, they become better insulators and poorer conductors. This finding provides insight into how magmas are formed and will lead to better models of continental collision and the formation of mountain belts.
National Science Foundation
Contact: Kelsey Jackson
JacksonKN@missouri.edu
573-882-8353
University of Missouri-Columbia
Public Release: 18-Mar-2009
Annals of Neurology
New research suggests common anti-seizure medications may increase risk of cardiovascular problems
An important clinical repercussion in the treatment of epilepsy has been discovered by a research team led by Scott Mintzer, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Neurology. The team has determined that two of the most commonly prescribed anti-seizure medications may lead to significantly increased levels of cholesterol, C-reactive protein and other markers of cardiovascular disease risk. The finding is set to be published in the March 18 online edition of Annals of Neurology.
Epilepsy Foundation Contact: Ed Federico
ed.federico@jefferson.edu
215-955-5507
Thomas Jefferson University
Public Release: 18-Mar-2009
24th Annual EAU Congress
New England Journal of Medicine
PSA screening cuts deaths by 20 percent
Screening for prostate cancer can reduce deaths by 20 percent, according to the results of the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) published online today, March 18. ERSPC is the world's largest prostate cancer screening study and provides robust, independently audited evidence, for the first time, of the effect of screening on prostate cancer mortality.
Contact: Lindy Brouwer
l.brouwer@uroweb.org
European Association of Urology
Public Release: 18-Mar-2009
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
Depressed people have trouble learning 'good things in life'
While depression is often linked to negative thoughts and emotions, a new study suggests the real problem may be a failure to appreciate positive experiences. Researchers at Ohio State University found that depressed and non-depressed people were about equal in their ability to learn negative information that was presented to them.
Contact: Laren Conklin
Conklin.52@osu.edu
614-688-4965
Ohio State University
Mild obesity takes years off your life
Being slightly overweight, which is now extremely common, reduces life expectancy by two to four years
00:01 18 March 2009
Some schools may be breeding grounds for teen killers
A review of school shootings in the US indicates that some schools are more likely to cultivate killers than others
12:55 18 March 2009
Public Release: 18-Mar-2009
Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences
MIT: Why we have difficulty recognizing faces in photo negatives
Humans excel at recognizing faces, but how we do this has been an abiding mystery in neuroscience and psychology. In an effort to explain our success in this area, researchers are taking a closer look at how and why we fail. A new study from MIT looks at a particularly striking instance of failure: our impaired ability to recognize faces in photographic negatives.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Jim and Marilyn Simons Foundation Contact: Elizabeth Thomson
thomson@mit.edu
617-258-5402
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Public Release: 19-Mar-2009
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Light to moderate drinking and socialization are jointly good for cardiovascular health
While heavy drinking is associated with a greater risk of stroke, light-to-moderate drinking has been linked to a lesser risk of ischemic stroke and coronary heart disease. New findings show that social support may enhance the beneficial effects of light-to-moderate alcohol consumption on risk of cardiovascular disease.
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Japan Contact: Hiroyasu Iso, Ph.D., M.D., M.P.H.
iso@pbhel.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
81-668-793-911
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Public Release: 19-Mar-2009
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Low to moderate, not heavy, drinking releases 'feel-good' endorphins in the brain
Scientists know that alcohol affects the brain, but the specifics are unclear. New findings show that low and moderate but not high doses of alcohol increase the release of beta-endorphin. Beta-endorphin release produces a general feeling of well-being that reinforces the desire to drink.
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Contact: Christina Gianoulakis, Ph.D.
christina.gianoulakis@mcgill.ca
514-762-3048
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Public Release: 19-Mar-2009
Language of music really is universal, study finds
Native African people who have never even listened to the radio before can nonetheless pick up on happy, sad, and fearful emotions in Western music, according to a new report published online on March 19 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. The result shows that the expression of those three basic emotions in music can be universally recognized, the researchers said.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press
Public Release: 19-Mar-2009
British Medical Journal
Maggot therapy similar to standard care for leg ulcers
Larval (maggot) therapy has similar health benefits and costs compared with a standard treatment for leg ulcers, find two studies published on bmj.com today.
Contact: Emma Dickinson
edickinson@bmj.com
44-020-738-36529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Public Release: 19-Mar-2009
PLoS Genetics
Plant biologists discover gene that switches on 'essence of male'
Biologists at the University of Leicester have published results of a new study into plant sex -- and discovered that a particular gene switches on 'the essence of male'. The study takes to a new level understanding of the genes needed for successful plant reproduction and seed production.
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Contact: Professor David Twell
twe@le.ac.uk
01-162-522-281
University of Leicester
NASA may send fleet of spacecraft to Venus
After a planned 'flagship' mission to Jupiter and its moons, the agency's next major planetary mission could be sent to Earth's 'evil twin'
00:00 19 March 2009
Were all dinosaurs beasts of a feather?
A stunning new fossil from China reveals primitive filamentary feathers on a dinosaur only distantly related to birds, hinting that all dinosaurs shared a feathery ancestry
THIS WEEK:  10:00 19 March 2009
Public Release: 19-Mar-2009
Howard Journal
Report warns of jury service 'trauma'
This first study of its kind highlights whether people called for jury service should be screened.
Contact: Dr. Noelle Robertson
nr6@le.ac.uk
44-116-223-1617
University of Leicester
Public Release: 19-Mar-2009
Addiction
Acetaldehyde in alcohol -- no longer just the chemical that causes a hangover
New evidence shows that drinking alcohol is the greatest risk factor for acetaldehyde-related cancer. Heavy drinkers may be at increased risk due to exposure from multiple sources. The research team also noted, that this risk is compounded by the addition of acetaldehyde exposure from different sources.
Contact: Michael Torres
michael_torres@camh.net
416-595-6015
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Public Release: 19-Mar-2009
Journal of Human Evolution
Optimum running speed is stride toward understanding human body form
Runners, listen up: If your body is telling you that your pace feels a little too fast or a little too slow, it may be right. A new study, published online March 18 in the Journal of Human Evolution, shows that the efficiency of human running varies with speed and that each individual has an optimal pace at which he or she can cover the greatest distance with the least effort.
Contact: Karen Steudel
ksteudel@facstaff.wisc.edu
608-263-5079
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Public Release: 19-Mar-2009
Tissue Engineering, Parts A, B, C
Lab-grown nerves promote nerve regeneration after injury
Researchers have engineered transplantable living nerve tissue that encourages and guides regeneration in an animal model. They have successfully grown, transplanted, and integrated axon bundles that act as "jumper cables" to the host tissue in order to bridge a damaged section of nerve.
NIH/National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Sharpe Trust Contact: Karen Kreeger
karen.kreeger@uphs.upenn.edu
215-349-5658
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Jigsaw complete for ancient predator
The "T. rex of the Cambrian" – a large arthropod – has had various body parts labelled as different species over the years, but now that's been put right
18:00 19 March 2009
Public Release: 20-Mar-2009
UK researcher identifies just 8 patterns as the cause of all humor
Evolutionary theorist Alastair Clarke has today published details of eight patterns he claims to be the basis of all the humor that has ever been imagined or expressed, regardless of civilization, culture or personal taste.
Contact: Nicola Hern
nicola@herncommunications.co.uk
44-798-009-8652
Pyrrhic House
Is life bubbling up in Mars mud?
Mounds at a site in the northern plains of Mars bear a striking resemblance to mud volcanoes on Earth (Image: University of Arizona/JPL/NASA)
Fossilised microbes could be strewn across the surface of Mars after hitching a ride in mud plumes from deep underground
THIS WEEK:  11:54 20 March 2009
Public Release: 20-Mar-2009
Journal of Infectious Diseases
2-day results predict ultimate response to therapy in chronic hepatitis C
A new study suggests that previously noted low rates of successful hepatitis C virus therapy in African-Americans are in large part due to very early differences in the antiviral activity induced by interferon. The study is published in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online.
Contact: Steve Baragona
sbaragona@idsociety.org
703-299-0412
Infectious Diseases Society of America
Public Release: 20-Mar-2009
Addiction
New study finds daily drinking is biggest risk factor in serious liver disease
Long-term daily drinking, rather than weekly binge drinking, is by far the biggest risk factor in serious liver disease, according to a new report from the University of Southampton, published in Addiction.
University of Southampton
Contact: Molly Jarvis
molly@addictionjournal.org
44-207-848-0014
Wiley-Blackwell
Fears over 'designer' babies leave children suffering
When a fertility clinic was forced to withdraw its offer to let parents choose their future child's eye colour it revealed a deeper societal problem, says Michael Le Page
COMMENT AND ANALYSIS:  11:33 21 March 2009
Public Release: 22-Mar-2009
Nature Genetics
Hopkins scientists ID 10 genes associated with a risk factor for sudden cardiac death
That an abnormality in his heart's electrical system had managed to stay on the Q.T. -- until it proved lethal -- is characteristic of sudden cardiac death, which annually claims more than a quarter million Americans. A dearth of discernable symptoms and lack of detectable molecules circulating in the blood makes the prediction of sudden cardiac death largely dependent on genetic risk factors.
Contact: Maryalice Yakutchik
myakutc1@jhmi.edu
443-287-2251
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Public Release: 22-Mar-2009
Nature Medicine
TV crime drama compound highlights immune cells' misdeeds
Detectives on television shows often spray crime scenes with a compound called luminol to make blood glow. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have applied the same compound to much smaller crime scenes: sites where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Michael C. Purdy
purdym@wustl.edu
314-286-0122
Washington University School of Medicine