Public Release: 20-Apr-2009
Experimental Biology 2009
First compound for receptors in schizophrenia and Alzheimer's holds promise
Compounds that activate two specific CNS receptors, causing them to release the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, are effective in treating the cognitive and motor problems related to both schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease can cause gastrointestinal and other side effects. Thanks to the discovery of a truly selective agonist that targets only the M1 receptor, this may change.
National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, Molecular Libraries Probe Production Centers Network
Contact: Sylvia Wrobel
ebpress@gmail.com
770-722-0155
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Public Release: 20-Apr-2009
AACR 100th Annual Meeting 2009
Human lung tumors destroy anti-cancer hormone vitamin D, Pitt researchers find
Human lung tumors have the ability to eliminate vitamin D, a hormone with anti-cancer activity, a new study from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute suggests. Results of the study, Abstract Number 2402, are being presented at the 100th annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 18-22, in Denver.
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
Contact: Courtney McCrimmon
McCrimmonCP@upmc.edu
412-647-3555
University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences
Public Release: 20-Apr-2009
AACR 100th Annual Meeting 2009
Pregnancy hormone hCG protects against breast cancer even in short-term treatments
Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center expand on their earlier findings that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone is what enables a full-term pregnancy to protect against breast cancer. The researchers have previously shown in rat models that hCG, when given during a 21-day period (the average period of rat gestation), can prevent breast cancer. Their current studies find an even shorter hCG regimen can prevent breast cancer in rats.
National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Cancer Institute
Contact: Greg Lester
gregory.lester@fccc.edu
215-316-8977
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Public Release: 20-Apr-2009
PLoS Medicine
New imaging technology reveals prevalence of 'silent' heart attacks
So-called "silent" heart attacks may be much more common than previously believed, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center. Studies show that each year, nearly 200,000 people in the US suffer a heart attack but may not realize it. These "silent" heart attacks aren't noted because they don't cause any pain -- or at least any pain that patients believe is related to their heart -- and they don't leave behind any telltale irregularities on electrocardiograms.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Michelle Gailiun
michelle.gailiun@duke.edu
919-660-1306
Duke University Medical Center
Public Release: 20-Apr-2009
AACR 100th Annual Meeting 2009
Grapefruit juice boosts drug's anti-cancer effects
Results from a small, early clinical trial show that combining grapefruit juice with the drug rapamycin can be effective in treating various types of cancer. The grapefruit juice increases drug levels, allowing lower doses of the drug to be given.
Contact: John Easton
john.easton@uchospitals.edu
773-702-6241
University of Chicago Medical Center
Wanted: Science advisor for British spy agency
If it hadn't been for Q Branch, James Bond would have been dead long ago. But could any of New Scientist's readers fill the boots of the real-life Q?
17:40 20 April 2009
Public Release: 20-Apr-2009
Angewandte Chemie International
Snatched from the air
Researchers from Singapore have developed a novel reaction scheme by which CO2 can be efficiently converted into methanol under very mild conditions.
Agency for Science, Technology and Research
Contact: Yugen Zhang
ygzhang@ibn.a-star.edu.sg
656-824-7162
Wiley-Blackwell
Yeast and bacterium turned into gasoline factory
Some DNA detective work, combined with clever genetic engineering, could lead to the production of carbon-neutral petrol
20:07 20 April 2009
Public Release: 20-Apr-2009
FASEB Journal
Our brains make their own marijuana: We're all pot heads deep inside
US and Brazilian scientists have just proven that one of Bob Dylan's most famous lines -- "everybody must get stoned" -- is correct. That's because they've discovered that the brain manufactures proteins that act like marijuana at specific receptors in the brain itself. This discovery, published online in the FASEB Journal, may lead to new marijuana-like drugs for managing pain, stimulating appetite and preventing marijuana abuse.
Contact: Cody Mooneyhan
cmooneyhan@faseb.org
301-634-7104
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Well
What Are Friends for? A Longer Life
Many people overlook a powerful weapon in the quest for better health: their friends.
By TARA PARKER-POPE
Really?
The Claim: Weight Training Is Bad for Blood Pressure
* Health Guide: Hypertension »
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
Avian Flu Cases in Egypt Raise Alarms
There is an unusual pattern of avian flu cases in Egypt, and experts hope these strange occurrences don’t indicate silent cases.
* Health Guide: Avian Influenza »
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
More Wii Warriors Are Playing Hurt
A video game offers a little exercise, a little fun and, for some, a little ache the next day.
By ANDREW DAS
A Conversation With Richard Wrangham
From Studying Chimps, a Theory on Cooking
Richard Wrangham has spent four decades observing wild chimpanzees in Africa to see what their behavior might tell us about prehistoric humans.
By CLAUDIA DREIFUS
Sibling worlds may be wettest and lightest known
A planet orbiting a nearby red dwarf may be the first known water world, while its newly discovered neighbour is the lightest
UPFRONT:  15:49 21 April 2009
Lightest exoplanet is discovered
Astronomers have announced the discovery of the lightest planet ever detected outside our Solar System.
By Paul Rincon and Jonathan AmosScience reporters, BBC News
21 April 2009 10:55 UK
Public Release: 21-Apr-2009
AACR 100th Annual Meeting 2009
Drinking wine may increase survival among non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients
Pre-diagnostic wine consumption may reduce the risk of death and relapse among non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients, according to an epidemiology study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 100th Annual Meeting 2009.
Contact: Jeremy Moore
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
267-646-0557
American Association for Cancer Research
Public Release: 21-Apr-2009
AACR 100th Annual Meeting 2009
Charred meat may increase risk of pancreatic cancer
Meat cooked at high temperatures to the point of burning and charring may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, according to data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 100th Annual Meeting 2009.
Contact: Jeremy Moore
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
267-646-0557
American Association for Cancer Research
'Fraction cells' found in human brain
Children often dread fractions, but the discovery of neurons dedicated exclusively to them suggests that they could be taught more intuitively
IN BRIEF:  11:00 21 April 2009
Public Release: 21-Apr-2009
PLoS ONE
Power steering for your hearing
Utah and Texas researchers have learned how quiet sounds are magnified by bundles of tiny, hair-like tubes atop "hair cells" in the ear: when the tubes dance back and forth, they act as "flexoelectric motors" that amplify sound mechanically. "We are reporting discovery of a new nanoscale motor in the ear," says Richard Rabbitt, the study's principal author and a professor and chair of bioengineering at the University of Utah College of Engineering.
National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, NASA
Contact: Lee Siegel
leesiegel@ucomm.utah.edu
801-581-8993
University of Utah
Public Release: 21-Apr-2009
ICASSP 2009
Lip-reading computers can detect different languages
Scientists at the University of East Anglia have created lip-reading computers that can distinguish between different languages.
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Contact: Simon Dunford
s.dunford@uea.ac.uk
44-016-035-92203
University of East Anglia
Public Release: 21-Apr-2009
Experimental Biology 2009
Evidence mounts that short or poor sleep can lead to increased eating and risk of diabetes
Laboratory and epidemiological studies continue to show that sleep curtailment and/or decreased sleep quality can disturb neuroendocrine control of appetite, leading to overeating, and can decrease insulin and/or increase insulin resistance, both steps on the road to type 2 diabetes. On April 22, at the Experimental Biology 2009 meeting in New Orleans, a panel of leading sleep researchers describes recent and new studies in this fast growing field. The session is part of the scientific program of the American Association of Anatomists.
Contact: Sylvia Wrobel
ebpress@gmail.com
770-722-0155
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Public Release: 21-Apr-2009
British Medical Journal
Changing the way organ donation requests are made could prevent relatives denying consent
Timing and whether a transplant coordinator makes the request are key factors in whether relatives consent to organ donation, according to a study published on bmj.com today.
Contact: Emma Dickinson
edickinson@bmj.com
44-207-383-6529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Public Release: 21-Apr-2009
PLoS ONE
Mayo Clinic researchers find agents that speed up destruction of proteins linked to Alzheimer's
Taking a new approach to the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease, a research team led by investigators at the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida has shown that drug-like compounds can speed up destruction of the amyloid beta proteins that form plaque in the brains of patients with the disorder.
National Institutes of Health, The Unforgettable Fund
Contact: Kevin Punsky
punsky.kevin@mayo.edu
904-953-2299
Mayo Clinic
Public Release: 21-Apr-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Increasing levels of rare element found worldwide
Dartmouth researchers have determined that the presence of the rare element osmium is on the rise globally. They trace this increase to the consumption of refined platinum, the primary ingredient in catalytic converters, the equipment commonly installed in cars to reduce smog.
Contact: Sue Knapp
sue.knapp@dartmouth.edu
603-646-3661
Dartmouth College
Public Release: 21-Apr-2009
Experimental Aging Research
Think memory worsens with age? Then yours probably will
Thinking your memory will get worse as you get older may actually be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Researchers at North Carolina State University have found that senior citizens who think older people should perform poorly on tests of memory actually score much worse than seniors who do not buy in to negative stereotypes about aging and memory loss.
NIH/National Institute on Aging
Contact: Matt Shipman
matt_shipman@ncsu.edu
919-515-6386
North Carolina State University
Neandertals Babies Didn't Do the Twist
Science News
Straw house beats the shakes in earthquake test
Cheap houses built from straw bales could be a boon in earthquake zones
FEATURE:  15:20 22 April 2009
Webbed life
Arctic fossils trace evolution of seals and walruses
22 April 2009 20:27 UK
Public Release: 22-Apr-2009
Neurology
Pain relievers ibuprofen and naproxen may delay -- not prevent -- Alzheimer's disease
A new study shows that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as the pain relievers ibuprofen and naproxen do not prevent Alzheimer's disease, but they may instead delay its onset. The study suggests a need for re-interpretation of earlier findings that suggested NSAIDs can prevent the disease. The research is published in the April 22, 2009, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Contact: Jenine Anderson
janderson@aan.com
American Academy of Neurology
Public Release: 22-Apr-2009
Experimental Biology 2009
New study shows chewing gum can lead to better academic performance in teenagers
New research to be presented at the American Society for Nutrition Scientific Sessions and Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2009 shows chewing gum can lead to better academic performance in teenagers in a classroom setting.
Contact: Amy E. Lind | Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
Amy.Lind@wrigley.com
312-645-3423
Edelman Public Relations
Public Release: 22-Apr-2009
International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Annual Meeting
Double-lung transplants work better than single for long-term survival
Having both lungs replaced instead of just one is the single most important feature determining who lives longest after having a lung transplant, more than doubling an organ recipient's chances of extending their life by over a decade, a study by a team of transplant surgeons at Johns Hopkins shows.
Contact: David March
dmarch1@jhmi.edu
410-955-1534
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Scholars at odds over mysterious Indus script
A new analysis of an as yet undeciphered script from South Asia has ignited a row over whether it is a language or not
19:00 23 April 2009
Public Release: 23-Apr-2009
Science
Study rules out ancient bursts of seafloor methane emissions
Measurements made from the largest Greenland ice sample ever analyzed have confirmed that an unusual rise in atmospheric methane levels about 12,000 years ago was not the result of a catastrophic release of seafloor "hydrate deposits," as some scientists had feared.
National Science Foundation
Contact: Edward Brook
brooke@geo.oregonstate.edu
541-737-8197
Oregon State University
Public Release: 23-Apr-2009
Journal of Translational Medicine
Stem cells from fat tissue offer hope for MS treatment
A preliminary study on the use of stem cells obtained from a patient's own adipose tissue in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) has shown promising results. The three case studies, described in BioMed Central's open-access Journal of Translational Medicine support further clinical evaluation of stromal vascular fraction cells in MS and other autoimmune conditions.
Contact: Graeme Baldwin
graeme.baldwin@biomedcentral.com
44-787-741-1853
BioMed Central
Public Release: 23-Apr-2009
European Spine Journal
Poor treatment for common vertebral compression fractures
The advice and treatment given to patients with vertebral compression fractures is not satisfactory. A thesis presented at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, shows that the majority of patients still have severe pain one year after the fracture.
Contact: Elin Lindstrom Claessen
elin.lindstrom@sahlgrenska.gu.se
46-070-829-4303
University of Gothenburg
Public Release: 23-Apr-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Scientists give a hand(edness) to the search for alien life
Visiting aliens may be the stuff of legend, but if a scientific team working at NIST is right, we may be able to find extraterrestrial life even before it leaves its home planet--by looking for left- (or right-) handed light.
Space Telescope Science Institute, European Space Agency
Contact: Chad Boutin
boutin@nist.gov
301-975-4261
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Public Release: 23-Apr-2009
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Living outside the box: New evidence shows going abroad linked to creativity
Living in another country can be a cherished experience, but new research suggests it might also help expand minds. This research, published by the American Psychological Association, is the first of its kind to look at the link between living abroad and creativity.
Contact: Audrey Hamilton
ahamilton@apa.org
202-336-5706
American Psychological Association
Public Release: 23-Apr-2009
A biological basis for the 8-hour workday?
Scientists already know that some genes are controlled by the circadian clock and are turned on only one time during each 24-hour cycle. Now, researchers have found that some genes are switched on once every 12 or 8 hours, indicating that shorter cycles of the circadian rhythm are also biologically encoded.
Contact: Karen Kreeger
karen.kreeger@uphs.upenn.edu
215-349-5658
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Public Release: 23-Apr-2009
American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism
Even modest exercise can reduce negative effects of belly fat
A new University of Illinois study suggests that moderate amounts of exercise alone can reduce the inflammation in visceral fat -- belly fat, if you will -- that has been linked with metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that predict heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Phyllis Picklesimer
p-pickle@illinois.edu
217-244-2827
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Public Release: 23-Apr-2009
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
Type of vitamin B1 could treat common cause of blindness
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers have discovered that a form of vitamin B1 could become a new and effective treatment for one of the world's leading causes of blindness, uveitis.
Contact: Jim Kelly
jpkelly@utmb.edu
409-772-8791
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Stem cell eye 'patch' to save sight gets cash boost
Pfizer pumps funds into a pioneering treatment derived from embryonic stem cells that could stop age-related blindness
11:04 24 April 2009
Public Release: 23-Apr-2009
22nd annual meeting of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Novel cancer drug reduces neuroblastoma growth by 75 percent
Researchers from the Children's Cancer Hospital at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have found a new drug that restricts the growth of neuroblastoma, a childhood brain cancer. The pre-clinical study was presented today in the plenary session at the 22nd annual meeting of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.
Contact: Lindsay Anderson
lindsay.anderson@gabbe.com
212-220-4444
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Innovation: Mind-reading headsets will change your brain
This year, cheap headsets which control technology by reading your mind will finally hit the shelves. It will dramatically change the way we use technology – and our brains
18:18 23 April 2009
Can internal 'brain music' be used in therapy?
Psychologists are unconvinced by US Department of Homeland Security suggestions that the brain's own "music" can change an individual's mood
17:07 24 April 2009
Public Release: 24-Apr-2009
American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology
Two-pronged model could help foil tough cystic fibrosis infections
Dartmouth Medical School researchers have devised a new way to thwart the relentless bacterial infections that thrive in the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis, unlocking new possibilities against a tenacious and toxic hallmark of the common genetic disease.
Contact: Sue Knapp
dms.communications@dartmouth.edu
603-650-1492
Dartmouth College
Public Release: 26-Apr-2009
American Urological Association Annual Scientific Meeting
Journal of Urology
Increased mortality associated with nocturia
Patients suffering from nocturia, the need to urinate at least twice during the night, may have a significantly increased risk for mortality. Researchers presented a study at the 104th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association showing that there was a significantly increased mortality rate in elderly patients living in a Japanese assisted-living facility who suffered from nocturia relative to other residents.
Contact: Lacey Dean
ldean@auanet.org
410-689-3932
American Urological Association
Public Release: 27-Apr-2009
Pediatrics
Whiter laundry and a surprising new treatment for kids' eczema
Household bleach has a surprising new role: an effective treatment for kids' chronic eczema. The skin disorder starts with red, itchy, inflamed skin that often becomes crusty and raw from scratching. Kids may break the skin from scratching and get chronic skin infections that are difficult to treat, especially from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Northwestern University researchers have discovered diluted beach baths drastically improve the rash and reduce flare-ups of eczema, which affects 17 percent of school-age children.
Society for Pediatric Dermatology, Neutrogena Corporation
Contact: Marla Paul
Marla-Paul@northwestern.edu
312-503-8928
Northwestern University