Cache of mummies unearthed at Egypt's Lahun pyramid
Reuters\Yahoo News
Public Release: 27-Apr-2009
PLoS Medicine
Smoking and high blood pressure each account for 1 in 5 deaths in US adults
A comprehensive assessment of the risk factors for preventable deaths in the United States has found that smoking and high blood pressure are responsible for the greatest number of preventable deaths -- each accounting for around one in five deaths in US adults.
Contact: Andrew Hyde
press@plos.org
44-122-346-3330
Public Library of Science
Public Release: 27-Apr-2009
PLoS Biology
The structure of a giant virus
The mimivirus is the largest virus known to scientists. In this week's issue of PLoS Biology, an international team of researchers have determined key structural features of the mimivirus, findings that could help scientists study how the simplest life forms evolved and whether this unusual virus causes any human diseases.
Keck Foundation, National Institutes of Health Contact: Sally Hubbard
press@plos.org
Public Library of Science
Public Release: 27-Apr-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Dietary fats trigger long-term memory formation
Having strong memories of that rich, delicious dessert you ate last night? If so, you shouldn't feel like a glutton. It's only natural.
National Institutes of Health Contact: Tom Vasich
tmvasich@uci.edu
949-824-6455
University of California - Irvine
Public Release: 27-Apr-2009
Pediatrics
Autism may be linked to being firstborn, breech births or moms 35 or older
Children who are firstborn or breech or whose mothers are 35 or older when giving birth are at significantly greater risk for developing an autism spectrum disorder, University of Utah School of Medicine researchers have reported in a new study with Utah children.
Contact: Phil Sahm
Phil.Sahm@hsc.utah.edu
801-581-2517
University of Utah Health Sciences
War-torn countries prefer masculine leaders
People choose leaders with masculine faces in times of war and feminine faces when peace-keeping's needed – regardless of their actual gender
THIS WEEK:  10:40 27 April 2009
Public Release: 27-Apr-2009
PLoS ONE
New study overturns orthodoxy on how macrophages kill bacteria
For decades, microbiologists assumed that macrophages, immune cells that can engulf and poison bacteria and other pathogens, killed microbes by damaging their DNA. A new study from the University of Illinois disproves that.
Contact: Diana Yates
diya@illinois.edu
217-333-5802
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bicycle helmet laws could do more harm than good
Forcing cyclists to wear protective headgear could cause people to stop cycling and cost healthcare services billions of dollars, a new study claims
17:50 27 April 2009
Public Release: 27-Apr-2009
PLoS ONE
Early brain activity sheds new light on the neural basis of reading
Most people are expert readers, but it is something of an enigma that our brain can achieve expertise this recent cultural invention, which lies at the interface between vision and language. Now, a better understanding of the brain basis of reading has been reported in the open-access, peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE. The research was led by Piers Cornelissen, Morten Kringelbach, Ian Holliday and Peter Hansen from the Universities of York, Oxford, Aston and Birmingham, UK.
Wellcome Trust
Contact: Rebecca Walton
rwalton@plos.org
44-122-346-3333
Public Library of Science
Public Release: 27-Apr-2009
Medical Teacher
New doctors, teaching physicians disagree about essential medical procedures to learn
Physicians teaching at medical schools and doctors who have just completed their first year out of medical school disagree about which procedures are necessary to learn before graduating, according to a new survey done by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Contact: Jessica Guenzel
jguenzel@wfubmc.edu
336-716-3487
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
Public Release: 27-Apr-2009
Astrophysical Journal
Missing planets attest to destructive power of stars' tides
Astronomers have found hundreds of extrasolar planets in the last two decades, and new research indicates they might have found even more except for one thing -- some planets have fallen into their stars and simply no longer exist.
NASA
Contact: Vince Stricherz
vinces@u.washington.edu
206-543-2580
University of Washington
Most distant object in the universe spotted
A gamma-ray burst that detonated 13.1 billion light years from Earth is the most distant object ever seen
22:32 27 April 2009
Public Release: 28-Apr-2009
Palaeontologia Electronica
Evidence of the 'Lost World' -- did dinosaurs survive the end Cretaceous extinctions?
The idea of isolated communities of dinosaurs surviving the catastrophic extinction event 65 million years ago has stimulated a great deal of literary and cinematic drama. Today the fiction seems just a little closer to reality. New scientific evidence suggests that dinosaurs may have survived in a remote area of what is now New Mexico and Colorado for up to half a million years.
Contact: Mark Purnell
publicity@palass.org
The Palaeontological Association
Really?
The Claim: Eating Parsley Can Eliminate Bad Breath
Does this green herb have antibacterial properties similar to mouthwash?
By ANAHAD O'CONNOR
Public Release: 28-Apr-2009
Physics of Life Reviews
Unifying the animate and the inanimate designs of nature
Living beings and inanimate phenomena may have more in common than previously thought.
National Science Foundation, US Air Force Contact: Richard Merritt
richard.merritt@duke.edu
919-660-8414
Duke University
Public Release: 28-Apr-2009
Psychosomatic Medicine
Depression linked with accumulation of visceral fat
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center have shown that depression is linked with the accumulation of visceral fat, the kind of fat packed between internal organs at the waistline, which has long been known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
National Institutes of Health Contact: Sharon Butler
sharon_butler@rush.edu
312-942-7816
Rush University Medical Center
Public Release: 28-Apr-2009
Nature
Penn Medicine, CHOP researchers demonstrate first common genetic risk factors for autism
Researchers have made an important step forward in understanding the complex genetic structure of autism spectrum disorders. A researcher collaboration, including geneticists from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, have detected variations along a genetic pathway that is responsible for neurological development, learning and memory, which appears to play a significant role in the genetic risk of autism.
Contact: Kim Guenther
kim.guenther@uphs.upenn.edu
215-200-2312
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Cases
When Bad Advice Is the Best Advice
Leaving hard decisions to the patient can mean taking the easy way out.
By PETER A. UBEL, M.D.
Public Release: 28-Apr-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Analysis finds strong match between molecular, fossil data in evolutionary studies
Paleontologists have completed a rigorous study that has culminated in a new approach to reconciling the conflict between fossil and molecular data in evolutionary studies.
NASA, University of Michigan Society of Fellows Contact: Steve Koppes
s-koppes@uchicago.edu
773-702-8366
University of Chicago
Public Release: 28-Apr-2009
Google Earth aids discovery of early African mammal fossils
A limestone countertop, a practiced eye and Google Earth all played roles in the discovery of a trove of fossils that may shed light on the origins of African wildlife.
National Geographic Society Contact: Nancy Ross-Flanigan
rossflan@umich.edu
734-647-1853
University of Michigan
Salt in Enceladus geyser points to liquid ocean
Icy fountains from Saturn's moon Enceladus contain salt, meaning that there's almost certainly a sea of liquid water below its surface
IN BRIEF:  10:14 29 April 2009
Public Release: 28-Apr-2009
Dermatologic Surgery
Topical cream studied as way to treat skin cancer without the knife
Saint Louis University researchers find that a topical drug shows promise in treating some types of skin cancer, potentially reducing the area needing surgery, managing the cancer and minimizing its recurrence.
Contact: Carrie Bebermeyer
bebermcl@slu.edu
314-977-8015
Saint Louis University
Public Release: 28-Apr-2009
Molecular Biology and Evolution
Native Americans descended from a single ancestral group, DNA study confirms
After comparing DNA samples from people in dozens of modern-day Native American and Eurasian groups, an international team of scientists has provided robust evidence to support the theory that all Native Americans and Western Beringians trace a large portion of their ancestry to a single founding population, and that this population may have been isolated from other Asian groups prior to expanding into the Americas.
National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation Contact: Liese Greensfelder
lgreensfelder@ucdavis.edu
530-752-6101
University of California - Davis
Public Release: 29-Apr-2009
Neuron
Parkinson's: Neurons destroyed by 3 simultaneous strikes
In a study that reveals the clearest picture to date of neuron death in Parkinson's disease, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have found that a trio of culprits acting in concert is responsible for killing the brain cells. The study, published in the April 30 issue of Neuron, showed that three molecules -- the neurotransmitter dopamine, a calcium channel, and a protein called alpha-synuclein -- act together to kill the neurons.
Contact: Karin Eskenazi
ket2116@columbia.edu
212-342-0508
Columbia University Medical Center
Public Release: 29-Apr-2009
Neuron
Human brain contains neurons with a preference for whole real words
A new study provides direct experimental evidence that a brain region important for reading and word recognition contains neurons that are highly selective for individual real words. The research, published by Cell Press in the April 30 issue of the journal Neuron, provides important insight into brain mechanisms associated with reading and may lead to a better understanding of reading disabilities.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press
Why travel bans won't prevent a flu pandemic
Restrictions on international air travel will have little effect on stemming the spread of an influenza pandemic, computer models suggest
11:45 29 April 2009
Public Release: 29-Apr-2009
Journal of Clinical Oncology
M. D. Anderson study predicts dramatic growth in cancer rates among US elderly, minorities
Over the next 20 years, the number of new cancer cases diagnosed annually in the United States will increase by 45 percent, from 1.6 million in 2010 to 2.3 million in 2030, with a dramatic spike in incidence predicted in the elderly and minority populations, according to research from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Contact: Laura Sussman
lsussman@mdanderson.org
713-745-2457
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Public Release: 29-Apr-2009
American Academy of Neurology's 61st Annual Meeting
Migraine prevention by targeting glutamate receptors?
The ultimate goal for migraine sufferers is to prevent the onset of the attack. Few treatment options are available and those that are used are often associated with side effects. Migraineurs are looking for new ways for migraine prevention. One such way could be targeting the mGluR5 receptor.
Addex Pharmaceuticals
Contact: Mike Sinclair
msinclair@halsin.com
44-207-084-5955
Halsin Partners
Public Release: 29-Apr-2009
American Academy of Neurology's 61st Annual Meeting
Glutamate identified as predictor of disease progression in multiple sclerosis
UCSF researchers have identified a correlation between higher levels of glutamate, which occurs naturally in the brain as a byproduct of metabolism, and greater disease burden in multiple sclerosis patients. The study is the first to measure glutamate toxicity in the brain over time and suggests an improved method for tracking the disease and predicting its course.
National MS Society
Contact: Lauren Hammit
lhammit@pubaff.ucsf.edu
415-476-2557
University of California - San Francisco
Public Release: 29-Apr-2009
American Academy of Neurology's 61st Annual Meeting
New pill to treat MS
A new drug for multiple sclerosis can dramatically reduce the chances of a relapse or a deterioration of the condition. The results of a major trial show that taking a course of cladribine tablets just a few times a year can reduce the chances of a relapse by well over 50 per cent. If it becomes available to patients, cladribine will be the first licensed treatment for MS which does not involve regular injections.
Contact: Kerry Noble
k.noble@qmul.ac.uk
07-932-640-759
Queen Mary, University of London
Sun-like star's 'oddball' planet
Astronomers have discovered a strange Jupiter-sized world circling a star similar to our own Sun.
29 April 2009 10:53 UK
Public Release: 29-Apr-2009
Nature
World's fastest camera relies on an entirely new type of imaging
In the April 30 issue of Nature, a research team from UCLA Engineering describes an entirely new approach to imaging that does not require a CCD or CMOS camera. Building on more than a decade of research on photonic time stretch, a technique for capturing illusive events, the team has demonstrated a continuous running camera that captures images at 6 million frames per second, roughly a thousand times faster than conventional cameras.
Contact: Wileen Wong Kromhout
wwkromhout@support.ucla.edu
310-206-0540
University of California - Los Angeles
Public Release: 29-Apr-2009
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Half a glass of wine a day may boost life expectancy by five years
Drinking up to half a glass of wine a day may boost life expectancy by five years -- at least in men -- suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Contact: Emma Dickinson
edickinson@bmj.com
44-020-738-36529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
23:23 29 April 2009
Invisibility cloak edges closer
A tiny "carpet cloak" that makes objects invisible to optical light has been made by a US research team.
Public Release: 30-Apr-2009
Science
Genetic variant impairs communication within the brain
For some time now it has been known that certain hereditary factors enhance the risk of schizophrenia or a manic-depressive disorder. However, just how this occurs had remained obscure. Researchers at the Zentralinstitut fur Seelische Gesundheit in Mannheim, Heidelberg University and Bonn University are now able to answer this question, at least for one common genetic variant: this impairs the interoperation of certain regions of the brain.
Contact: Professor Henrik Walter
Henrik.Walter@ukb.uni-bonn.de
0049-228-287-19123
University of Bonn
Huge gene study shines new light on African history
The largest-ever study of the genomes of people from across Africa provides "spectacular insight into the history of African populations"
19:00 30 April 2009
Eden? Maybe. But Where’s the Apple Tree?
A new genetic survey of people in Africa suggests that the borderland where Angola and Namibia meet seems to be the origin of modern humans.
By NICHOLAS WADE
University of Colorado at Boulder
First dino 'blood' extracted from ancient bone
A hadrosaur bone buried for 80 million years has yielded a mix of proteins and microstructures resembling cells that may help shed light on dinosaur evolution
19:00 30 April 2009
Public Release: 30-Apr-2009
PLoS Medicine
Using a small stockpile of a secondary antiviral drug in a flu pandemic
In a global influenza pandemic, small stockpiles of a secondary flu medication -- if used early in local outbreaks -- could extend the effectiveness of primary drug stockpiles, according to research made available today ahead of publication in PLoS Medicine.
Contact: Andrew Hyde
press@plos.org
44-122-346-3330
Public Library of Science
Public Release: 30-Apr-2009
Arthritis & Rheumatism
Chlamydia may play role in a type of arthritis
Spondylarthritis represents a group of arthritidies that share clinical features such as inflammatory back pain and inflammation at sites where tendons attach to bone.
Contact: Sean Wagner
medicalnews@bos.blackwellpublishing.com
781-388-8550
Wiley-Blackwell
Public Release: 30-Apr-2009
Diabetes
Popular diabetes treatment could trigger pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer
A drug widely used to treat type 2 diabetes may have unintended effects on the pancreas that could lead to a form of low-grade pancreatitis in some patients and a greater risk of pancreatic cancer in long-term users. Sitagliptin, sold in pill form as Januvia, caused abnormalities in the pancreas that are recognized as risk factors for pancreatitis and, with time, pancreatic cancer in humans.
National Institutes of Health, Larry Hillblom Foundation, Merck Research Foundation
Contact: Enrique Rivero
erivero@mednet.ucla.edu
310-794-2273
University of California - Los Angeles