Public Release: 1-May-2009
Psychopharmacology
Your brain on -- and off -- caffeine
Using EEG, ultrasound to examine blood flow velocity and questionnaires, researchers found physiological evidence of the likely mechanism underlying the common "caffeine withdrawal headache," as well as a surprise finding.
NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse Contact: Jennifer Nachbur
jennifer.nachbur@uvm.edu
802-656-7875
University of Vermont
Public Release: 2-May-2009
American Geriatrics Society Annual Meeting
Women live longer, not better, largely because of obesity and arthritis
Obesity and arthritis that take root during early and middle age significantly contribute to women's decreased quality of life during their senior years, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.
National Institutes of Health, University of Pittsburgh, John A. Hartford Center for Excellence, Duke Claude D. Pepper Older American Independence Center, John A. Hartford Foundation Contact: Melissa Schwarting
melissa.schwarting@duke.edu
919-660-1303
Duke University Medical Center
Public Release: 3-May-2009
Nature Genetics
Narcolepsy is an autoimmune disorder, Stanford researcher says
Ten years ago, Stanford University School of Medicine scientist Emmanuel Mignot, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues made headlines when they identified the culprit behind the sleep disorder narcolepsy. Now Mignot and his collaborators have shown for the first time that a specific immune cell is involved in the disorder -- confirming experts' long-held suspicion that narcolepsy is an autoimmune disease.
Contact: Michelle Brandt
mbrandt@stanford.edu
650-723-0272
Stanford University Medical Center
Public Release: 3-May-2009
Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences
Late motherhood boosts family lifespan
Women who have babies naturally in their 40s or 50s tend to live longer than other women. Now, a new study shows their brothers also live longer, but the brothers' wives do not, suggesting the same genes prolong lifespan and female fertility, and may be more important than social and environmental factors.
National Institutes of Health, University of Western Ontario, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Contact: Lee Siegel
leesiegel@ucomm.utah.edu
801-581-8993
University of Utah
Public Release: 4-May-2009
Clinical Pediatrics
Study: Furniture tip-over injuries rising
Every day, about 40 young kids are rushed to the emergency room with injuries after a heavy piece of furniture -- a TV, a bookcase, etc. -- has fallen on them. A new study finds the number of injured children is rising significantly.
Contact: Marti Leitch
mleitch@mediasourcetv.com
614-932-9950
Nationwide Children's Hospital
Public Release: 4-May-2009
Neurology
Delirium may cause rapid cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease patients who develop delirium, a sudden state of severe confusion and disorientation, are significantly more likely to experience rapid cognitive decline than Alzheimer's patients who didn't experience delirium, according to research published in the May 5, 2009, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Contact: Rachel Seroka
rseroka@aan.com
American Academy of Neurology
Glowing band aid to zap skin cancer
Plasters embedded with light-emitting diodes could be used to treat skin cancer in combination with light-sensitive drugs
FEATURE:  10:30 04 May 2009
Public Release: 4-May-2009
Neuropsychology
Memory grows less efficient very early in Alzheimer's disease
Even very early in Alzheimer's disease, people become less efficient at separating important from less important information, a new study has found.
Contact: Public Affairs
public.affairs@apa.org
202-336-5700
American Psychological Association
Public Release: 4-May-2009
Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association
More compressions, fewer interruptions lead to higher cardiac arrest survival
Survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest patients increased when professional rescuers focused on minimizing interruptions to chest compressions during CPR. Compression rate was increased to 50 compressions followed by two breaths. Rescuers delayed other interventions, such as intubation and IVs, until enough compressions had been given.
Contact: Kate Lino
kate.lino@heart.org
214-706-1325
American Heart Association
Public Release: 4-May-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
True grit
Weizmann Institute researchers have revealed a unique strategy evolved by sea urchins to keep their digging teeth sharp enough to carve out hiding holes in limestone.
Contact: Yivsam Azgad
news@weizmann.ac.il
972-893-43856
Weizmann Institute of Science
Bear tapping: A bile business
Thousands of bears are being kept in appalling conditions to supply traditional Chinese medicine. Thankfully, there's a plan to save them
FEATURE:  14:31 04 May 2009
Public Release: 4-May-2009
Journal of Leukocyte Biology
Scientists learn why the flu may turn deadly
As the swine flu continues its global spread, researchers from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pa., have discovered important clues about why influenza is more severe in some people than it is in others. In their research study published online in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, the scientists show that the influenza virus can actually paralyze the immune systems of otherwise healthy individuals, leading to severe secondary bacterial infections, such as pneumonia.
Contact: Cody Mooneyhan
cmooneyhan@faseb.org
301-634-7104
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Public Release: 4-May-2009
Archaeology
eBay has unexpected, chilling effect on looting of antiquities, archaelogist finds
Archaeologists held their breath more than a decade ago when the launch of eBay theoretically increased the market for looted archaeological treasures. In fact, writes the director of UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology in the latest issue of Archaeology magazine, eBay hasn't increased looting, as originally feared. By creating a market for increasingly sophisticated fakes, eBay has actually had a dampening effect on the market for looted antiquities, writes UCLA archaeology professor Charles Stanish.
Contact: Meg Sullivan
msullivan@support.ucla.edu
310-825-1046
University of California - Los Angeles
'Stench of life' prevents ants from being buried alive
New research overturns the idea that the buildup of chemicals after death tells Argentine ants when to bury their brethren
22:00 04 May 2009
Early domestic animals were surprisingly well bred
They may not have known about genetics and Darwinism, but our ancestors knew how to drive the evolution of once-wild beasts to serve their own needs
THIS WEEK:  11:52 05 May 2009
Personal Health
High Functioning, but Still Alcoholics
As many as half of all alcoholics may be high-functioning types ― able to live a successful life in spite of their addictions.
* Comment Q&A: Alcoholism
* Health Guide: Alcoholism »
By JANE E. BRODY
A Battle to Preserve a Visionary’s Bold Failure
A fight is looming on Long Island over the ghostly remains of Nikola Tesla’s biggest and most audacious project.
* Tesla Lab: $1,650,000  |  Photographs: Tesla’s Long Island Vision
By WILLIAM J. BROAD
Public Release: 5-May-2009
Psychology and Aging
Still irritating after all these years: Study of adult children and parents
The majority of parents and adult children experience some tension and aggravation with one another, a new study says.
National Institutes of Health Contact: Diane Swanbrow
swanbrow@umich.edu
734-647-9069
University of Michigan
Public Release: 5-May-2009
American Journal of Roentgenology
CT scans increase cancer risk estimates in multiply-imaged emergency department patients
Physicians should review a patient's CT imaging history and cumulative radiation dose when considering whether to perform another CT exam, according to researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis.
Contact: Heather Curry
hcurry@arrs.org
703-858-4304
American Roentgen Ray Society
Public Release: 5-May-2009
American Journal of Roentgenology
3T MRI detects 'early' breast cancer not seen on mammography and sonography
3T MRI, a powerful tool for evaluating patients with a high risk of having breast cancer, can detect a significant number of lesions not found on mammography and sonography, according to a study performed at the University of Toledo Medical Center, Toledo, Ohio.
Contact: Heather Curry
hcurry@arrs.org
703-858-4304
American Roentgen Ray Society
Public Release: 5-May-2009
Nature Medicine
Flow of potassium into cells implicated in schizophrenia
A study on schizophrenia has implicated machinery that maintains the flow of potassium in cells and revealed a potential molecular target for new treatments. Expression of a previously unknown form of a key potassium channel was found to be 2.5 fold higher than normal in the brain memory hub of people with the chronic mental illness and a hotspot of genetic variation.
National Institutes of Health Contact: Jules Asher
NIMHpress@nih.gov
301-443-4536
NIH/National Institute of Mental Health
Public Release: 6-May-2009
European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology
Treatment for extreme nausea, vomiting during pregnancy
A new medication protocol, introduced by the Universite de Montreal and its affiliated Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center, appears effective in improving symptoms more quickly and provides a safer option than those previously available. The findings, which are good news for moms and babies, are published in a recent edition of the European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.
Fonds de la Recherche en Sante du Quebec
Contact: Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins
sylvain-jacques.desjardins@umontreal.ca
514-343-7593
University of Montreal
Remember facts by cramming with fat
Indulging in a oily meal after studying for an exam could boost your results, a study in rats shows
IN BRIEF:  10:23 06 April 2009
Tonal languages are the key to perfect pitch
If you want your child to have perfect pitch like musical maestros Mozart and Chopin, teaching them Mandarin or Vietnamese could help
THIS WEEK:  15:00 06 April 2009
'Hobbit' Foot Like No Other In Human Fossil Record
NewsWise
Public Release: 6-May-2009
American Journal of Pathology
New universal breast cancer marker predicts recurrence and clinical outcome
Reporting online in the American Journal of Pathology, researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson have implicated the loss of a stromal protein called caveolin-1 as a major new prognostic factor in patients with breast cancer, predicting early disease recurrence, metastasis and breast cancer patient survival.
Contact: Emily Shafer
emily.shafer@jefferson.edu
215-955-6300
Thomas Jefferson University
World’s Oldest Manufactured Beads Are Older Than Previously Thought
Science Daily
Public Release: 6-May-2009
Geology
The rise of oxygen caused Earth's earliest ice age
Earth's earliest ice ages may have been due to the rise of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere, which consumed atmospheric greenhouse gases and chilled the earth. Alan J. Kaufman, professor of geology at the University of Maryland, Maryland colleague James Farquhar, and a team of scientists from Germany, South Africa, Canada, and the US, uncovered evidence that the oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere coincided with the first widespread ice age on the planet.
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Chinese Academy of Sciences, AvH Foundation, National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Science Foundation, NASA, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
Contact: Lee Tune
ltune@umd.edu
301-405-4679
University of Maryland
Orange stars are just right for life
The universe's best real estate for life may be around stars a little less massive than the yellow sun but more massive than red dwarfs
18:12 06 May 2009
Public Release: 7-May-2009
Science
Bioelectricity promises more 'miles per acre' than ethanol
Biofuels such as ethanol offer an alternative to petroleum for powering our cars, but growing energy crops to produce them can compete with food crops for farmland, and clearing forests to expand farmland will aggravate the climate change problem. How can we maximize our "miles per acre" from biomass? Researchers writing in the online edition of Science say the best bet is to convert the biomass to electricity, rather than ethanol.
Stanford University Global Climate and Energy Project, Stanford University Food Security and Environment Project, University of California at Merced, Carnegie Institution for Science, NASA
Contact: Chris Field
cfield@ciw.edu
650-823-5326
Carnegie Institution
Public Release: 7-May-2009
BMC Psychiatry
Constant sunlight linked to summer suicide spike
Suicide rates in Greenland increase during the summer, peaking in June. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Psychiatry speculate that insomnia caused by incessant daylight may be to blame.
Contact: Graeme Baldwin
graeme.baldwin@biomedcentral.com
44-078-774-11853
BioMed Central
Public Release: 7-May-2009
Journal of Hospital Infection
Transmission of MRSA and Clostridium difficile through dogs
S. Lefebvre and J.S. Weese from the University of Guelph in Canada describe a study that investigated whether MRSA and C. difficile could be passed between pet therapy dogs and patients. The findings suggested that MRSA and C. difficile may have been transferred to the fur and paws of these canine visitors through patients handling or kissing the dogs, or through exposure to a contaminated health care environment.
Contact: Fiona Macnab
f.macnab@elsevier.com
44-207-424-4486
Elsevier
Morning sickness may be sign of a bright baby
Children whose mums had nausea and vomiting during pregnancy show an IQ boost, say researchers
IN BRIEF:  13:43 07 May 2009
'Anaconda' harnesses wave power
A new wave energy device known as "Anaconda" is the latest idea to harness the power of the seas.
By Christine McGourty Science correspondent, BBC News
5 May 2009 00:35 UK
Public Release: 7-May-2009
Clinical Toxicology
Study finds homicidal poisoning rising, more likely in infants and elderly
Homicidal poisonings are rare but on the rise -- and infants are the most common victims -- according to a new University of Georgia study that aims to raise awareness of this often overlooked crime.
Contact: Sam Fahmy
sfahmy@uga.edu
706-542-5361
University of Georgia
Public Release: 7-May-2009
American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting
Massage after exercise myth busted by Queen's research team
A Queen's University research team has blown open the myth that massage after exercise improves circulation to the muscle and assists in the removal of lactic acid and other waste products.
Contact: Stephanie Earp
stephanie.earp@queensu.ca
613-533-6000 x79173
Queen's University
Public Release: 8-May-2009
European Congress on Obesity 2009
Increased food intake alone explains the increase in body weight in the United States
New research that uses an innovative approach to study, for the first time, the relative contributions of food and exercise habits to the development of the obesity epidemic has concluded that the rise in obesity in the United States since the 1970s was virtually all due to increased energy intake. The research is presented on Friday at the European Congress on Obesity in Amsterdam.
Contact: Emma Ross
rosswrite@mac.com
31-020-544-4125
European Association for the Study of Obesity
Public Release: 8-May-2009
Physical Review D
The day the universe froze
Imagine a time when the entire universe froze. According to a new model for dark energy, that is essentially what happened about 11.5 billion years ago, when the universe was a quarter of the size it is today.
US Department of Energy
Contact: David F. Salisbury
david.salisbury@vanderbilt.edu
615-343-6803
Vanderbilt University
Public Release: 8-May-2009
PLoS Pathogens
Bacteria play role in preventing spread of malaria
Bacteria in the gut of the Anopheles gambiae mosquito inhibit infection of the insect with Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes malaria in humans, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Scientists with the Bloomberg School's Malaria Research Institute found that removing these bacteria, or microbial flora, with antibiotics made the mosquitoes more susceptible to Plasmodium infection because of a lack of immune stimulation.
Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, NIH/National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Contact: Tim Parsons
tmparson@jhsph.edu
410-955-7619
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
8 May 2009 23:35 UK
Swine Flu Cases Worldwide Exceed 2,300
The World Health Organization said Thursday that 2,371 people in 24 countries now had confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu.
* Interactive Flu Tracker | Times Topics
* Debating the Wisdom of ‘Swine Flu Parties’
Volcanic shutdown may have led to 'snowball Earth'
Early in our planet's history, volcanoes stopped spewing out lava for around 250 million years, leaving Earth in almost perpetual winter
THIS WEEK:  12:02 09 May 2009