Keep working 'to avoid dementia'
Keeping the brain active by working later in life may be an effective way to ward off Alzheimer's disease, research suggests.
17 May 2009 00:02 UK
Public Release: 18-May-2009
American Society for Microbiology 109th General Meeting
New vaccine strategy might offer protection against pandemic influenza strains
A novel vaccine strategy using virus-like particles could provide stronger and longer-lasting influenza vaccines with a significantly shorter development and production time than current ones, allowing public health authorities to react more quickly in the event of a potential pandemic.
Contact: Jim Sliwa
jsliwa@asmusa.org
202-942-9297
American Society for Microbiology
Public Release: 18-May-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
University of Florida study provides insight into evolution of first flowers
Charles Darwin described the sudden origin of flowering plants about 130 million years ago as an abominable mystery, one that scientists have yet to solve.
Contact: Andre Chanderbali
achander@botany.ufl.edu
352-273-1976
University of Florida
Public Release: 18-May-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
The first evidence of pre-industrial mercury pollution in the Andes
The study of ancient lake sediment from high altitude lakes in the Andes has revealed for the first time that mercury pollution occurred long before the start of the Industrial Revolution. University of Alberta Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Ph.D. student Colin Cooke's results from two seasons of field work in Peru have now provided the first unambiguous records of pre-industrial mercury pollution from anywhere in the world.
National Geographic Society
Contact: Colin Cooke
cacooke@ualberta.ca
780-431-9208
University of Alberta
Public Release: 18-May-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Komodo even more deadly than thought: Research
The fearsome Komodo dragon is deadlier than previously thought, with new research revealing that the giant lizards weaken and immobilize their prey with a potent venomous bite before using razor sharp teeth and powerful neck muscles to kill victims.
Contact: Dr. Steve Wroe
s.wroe@unsw.edu.au
61-425-330-273
University of New South Wales
Public Release: 18-May-2009
Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry
Quick test for prostate cancer
A new three-minute test could help in diagnosing prostate cancer, the most common cancer in men in the UK, according to scientists.
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Contact: Carl Stiansen
c.r.stiansen@dur.ac.uk
44-191-334-6077
Durham University
Public Release: 18-May-2009
Journal of Nutrition
Turmeric extract suppresses fat tissue growth in rodent models
Curcumin, the major polyphenol found in turmeric, appears to reduce weight gain in mice and suppress the growth of fat tissue in mice and cell models. Researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University studied mice fed high fat diets supplemented with curcumin and cell cultures incubated with curcumin.
US Department of Agriculture Contact: Andrea Grossman
617-636-3728
Tufts University, Health Sciences
Public Release: 18-May-2009
Journal of Political Economy
Study: Potential criminals deterred by longer sentences
Can prison sentences deter potential criminals? A new article in the Journal of Political Economy suggests that in certain circumstances, they can.
Contact: Kevin Stacey
kstacey@press.uchicago.edu
773-834-0386
University of Chicago Press Journals
Dolphins seen trying to kill calf
Adult tucuxi dolphins have been seen trying to kill a newborn calf of their own species.
Matt Walker Editor, Earth News
18 May 2009 10:56 UK
Fish Poisoning May Be Why Polynesians Left Paradise
Science Daily
First heartbeats trigger blood formation
An embryo's first few pumps of the heart kick-start the production of blood cells, researchers discover
THIS WEEK:  12:34 19 May 2009
Really?
The Claim: Don’t Mix Blood Thinners and Cranberry Juice
Does cranberry juice heighten the affect of anticoagulants?
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
Public Release: 19-May-2009
Retrovirology
HIV's march around Europe mapped
Those traveling abroad should take seriously advice to pack their condoms and keep their needles to themselves: research published today in the open-access journal Retrovirology shows that tourists, travelers and migrants from Greece, Portugal, Serbia and Spain actively export HIV-1 subtype B to other European nations.
Contact: Charlotte Webber
charlotte.webber@biomedcentral.com
44-782-531-7342
BioMed Central
Public Release: 19-May-2009
European Journal of Neuroscience
Scientists discover area of brain that makes a 'people person'
Cambridge University researchers have discovered that whether someone is a "people person" may depend on the structure of their brain: the greater the concentration of brain tissue in certain parts of the brain, the more likely they are to be a warm, sentimental person.
Medical Research Council Contact: Genevieve Maul
genevieve.maul@admin.cam.ac.uk
44-122-333-2300
University of Cambridge
Personal Health
Breathing batteries could store 10 times the energy
Electric car performance is being held up by limits to the amount of power that can be stored on board, but a new battery that breathes air could provide a solution
12:57 19 May 2009
Mind
New Drugs Have Allure, Not Track Record
Recently, one of my residents told me about a patient with bipolar disorder whose psychiatrist had prescribed an exotic cocktail of drugs ― a sedative, a new mood stabilizer and the latest antipsychotic medication.
* Health Guide: Bipolar Disorder »
By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN, M.D.
Public Release: 19-May-2009
Proceedings of the Royal Society A
Fire and water reveal new archaeological dating method
Scientists at the University of Manchester have developed a new way of dating archaeological objects -- using fire and water to unlock their "internal clocks."
Leverhulme Trust, Engineering and Physical Science Research Council Contact: Alex Waddington
alex.waddington@manchester.ac.uk
44-161-275-8387
University of Manchester
Public Release: 19-May-2009
British Medical Journal
Study calls for 'as soon as possible' treatment standard for heart attack patients
Once in hospital, heart attack patients should be treated without delay to cut their risk of death, ideally within even less than the 90 minutes currently recommended by clinical guidelines, say researchers in a paper published on bmj.com today.
Contact: Emma Dickinson
edickinson@bmj.com
44-207-383-6529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Public Release: 19-May-2009
Developmental Psychology
Tying education to future goals may boost grades more than helping with homework
Helping middle school students with their homework may not be the best way to get them on the honor roll. But telling them how important academic performance is to their future job prospects and providing specific strategies to study and learn might clinch the grades, according to a research review.
Contact: Pam Willenz
pwillenz@apa.org
202-336-5707
American Psychological Association
Public Release: 19-May-2009
Angewandte Chemie International
Capsules encapsulated
A team led by Frank Caruso at the University of Melbourne has developed a microcontainer that can hold thousands of individual "carrier units" -- a "capsosome" as a new approach to drug delivery.
Swiss National Science Foundation, Australian Research Council Contact: Frank Caruso
fcaruso@unimelb.edu.au
61-383-443-461
Wiley-Blackwell
Observatory
A Bird Quickly Learns to Tell Urban Friend From Foe
Mockingbirds quickly learn to recognize humans who are perceived as threats, a new study suggests.
By HENRY FOUNTAIN
Public Release: 19-May-2009
Applied Catalysis A
Plastic that grows on trees, part two
To turn plants into a renewable, nonpolluting replacement for crude oil, scientists have to learn how to convert plant biomass into a building block for plastics and fuels cheaply and efficiently. In new research, chemists have successfully converted cellulose -- the most common plant carbohydrate -- directly into the building block called HMF in one step. This simple process generates a high yield of HMF and allows the use of raw cellulose as feed material.
US Department of Energy Contact: Mary Beckman
mary.beckman@pnl.gov
509-375-3688
DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Public Release: 19-May-2009
European Journal of Organic Chemistry
A new way of treating the flu
Promising new research announced by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute could provide an entirely new tool to combat the flu. The discovery is a one-two punch against the illness that targets the illness on two fronts, going one critical step further than any currently available flu drug.
National Institutes of Health Contact: Gabrielle DeMarco
demarg@rpi.edu
518-276-6542
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Ancient Gem-Studded Teeth Show Skill of Early Dentists
National Geographic
Public Release: 19-May-2009
Psychonomic Bulletin and Review
'Super-recognizers,' with extraordinary face recognition ability, never forget a face
Psychologists at Harvard University have discovered that some people have an extraordinary ability to recognize faces, a group that they call "super-recognizers," who can easily recognize someone they met in passing, even many years later. The findings imply that face recognition may vary more than previously understood, and may be on a spectrum, with "super-recognizers" at the high end, and those with face blindness, who have extraordinary difficulty recognizing a face, at the low end.
NIH/National Eye Institute, Economic and Social Research Council Contact: Amy Lavoie
amy_lavoie@harvard.edu
617-496-9982
Harvard University
A Long Search for a Universal Flu Vaccine
One shot to protect against all strains of flu won’t be here anytime soon, but it is the holy grail for some researchers.
* Options, and Hurdles, in Speeding Vaccines
* No Guidance on How to Rein In the Flu
By ANDREW POLLACK
Public Release: 20-May-2009
PLoS ONE
Old stain in a new combination
In a study on 160 children with malaria in Burkina Faso, specialists in tropical medicine from the Heidelberg University Hospital have shown that in combination with newer malaria drugs, methylene blue prevents the malaria pathogen in infected persons from being re-ingested by mosquitoes and then transmitted to others and is thus twice as effective as the standard therapy. The results of the study were published in May 2009 in the online journal PLoS One.
Contact: Prof. Olaf Mueller
Olaf.mueller@urz.uni-heidelberg.de
49-062-215-65035
University Hospital Heidelberg
Public Release: 20-May-2009
American Thoracic Society International Conference
Protein from algae shows promise for stopping SARS
A protein from algae may have what it takes to stop severe acute respiratory syndrome infections, according to new research. A recent study has found that mice treated with the protein, Griffithsin, had a 100 percent survival rate after exposure to the SARS coronavirus, as compared to a 30 percent survival for untreated mice.
Contact: Keely Savoie
ksavoie@thoracic.org
212-315-8620
American Thoracic Society
Climate Change Did Not Doom The Anasazi
Media NewsWire
How to fit 300 DVDs on one disc
A new optical recording method could pave the way for data discs with 300 times the storage capacity of standard DVDs, Nature journal reports.
20 May 2009 19:47 UK
Public Release: 20-May-2009
Nature
Why do people with Down syndrome have less cancer?
Most cancers are rare in people with Down syndrome. The late cancer researcher Judah Folkman, M.D., proposed that the extra copy of chromosome 21 may contain a gene that blocks angiogenesis, the development of blood vessels essential for cancer's growth. Now, a lab member at Children's Hospital Boston confirms this idea, identifies specific therapeutic targets for treating cancer, and validates her mouse findings using induced pluripotent stem cells derived from a patient with Down syndrome.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, NIH Director's Pioneer Award, Smith Family Medical Foundation, Garrett B. Smith Foundation, Annie's Fun Foundation
Contact: Elizabeth Andrews
elizabeth.andrews@childrens.harvard.edu
617-919-3110
Children's Hospital Boston
Public Release: 20-May-2009
Free Radical Biology and Medicine
Anti-inflammatory effect of 'rotten eggs' gas
Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter have synthesized a new molecule which releases hydrogen sulfide -- the gas that gives rotten eggs their characteristic smell and which has recently been found to be produced naturally in the body -- and discovered that it could in time lead to a range of new, safer and effective anti-inflammatory drugs for human use.
Northcott Devon Medical Foundation
Contact: Andrew Gould
andrew.gould@pms.ac.uk
The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry
Public Release: 20-May-2009
Nature
Asteroid attack 3.9 billion years ago may have enhanced early life on Earth, says CU-Boulder study
The bombardment of Earth nearly 4 billion years ago by asteroids as large as Kansas would not have had the firepower to extinguish potential early life on the planet and may even have given it a boost, says a new University of Colorado at Boulder study.
NASA
Contact: Oleg Abramov
Oleg.Abramov@colorado.edu
303-735-2413
University of Colorado at Boulder
Public Release: 20-May-2009
Neurology
Early identification of dementia increasingly difficult
If grandma seems to forget things, will she end up demented? These days, memory loss is one of the very few symptoms that may signal which 70-year-olds risk developing dementia. This is shown in a doctoral thesis at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Contact: Elin Lindstrom Claessen
elin.lindstrom@sahlgrenska.gu.se
46-317-863-869
University of Gothenburg
Public Release: 20-May-2009
Physics Review Letters
New 'broadband' cloaking technology simple to manufacture
Researchers have created a new type of invisibility cloak that is simpler than previous designs and works for all colors of the visible spectrum, making it possible to cloak larger objects than before and possibly leading to practical applications in "transformation optics."
National Science Foundation
Contact: Emil Venere
venere@purdue.edu
765-494-4709
Purdue University
Public Release: 20-May-2009
BMC Evolutionary Biology
Unusually large family of green fluorescent proteins discovered in marine creature
Scripps scientists find unexpected role for proteins: antioxidants.
Contact: Mario Aguilera
scrippsnews@ucsd.edu
858-534-3624
University of California - San Diego
Public Release: 20-May-2009
Risk Analysis
Face protection effective in preventing the spread of influenza
A new article in the journal Risk Analysis assessed various ways in which aerosol transmission of the flu, a central mode of diffusion which involves breathing droplets in the air, can be reduced. Results show that face protection is a key infection control measure for influenza and can thus affect how people should try to protect themselves from the swine flu.
Contact: Amy Molnar
journalnews@bos.blackwellpublishing.net
201-748-8844
Wiley-Blackwell
Chilly brine could have harboured life on Mars
Salty water made from the Red Planet's minerals could have maintained conditions for life even in a sub-zero climate, say researchers
18:00 20 May 2009
Magma pulses may reveal Earth's 'heartbeat'
Evidence from distant parts of Earth's crust suggests the core is pulsing, according to a controversial claim that would revise our picture of the centre of the planet
THIS WEEK:  18:00 20 May 2009
Ötzi the iceman: Up close and personal
The new Iceman photoscan website lets you explore the body of the famous Alpine mummy in unprecedented detail. See some of the best images and find out how he lived and died
GALLERY:  13:45 21 May 2009
Public Release: 21-May-2009
Journal of Veterinary Behavior, Clinical Applications and Research
Using 'dominance' to explain dog behavior is old hat
A new study shows how the behavior of dogs has been misunderstood for generations: in fact using misplaced ideas about dog behavior and training is likely to cause rather than cure unwanted behavior. The findings challenge many of the dominance related interpretations of behavior and training techniques suggested by current TV dog trainers.
Contact: Hannah Johnson
hannah.johnson@bristol.ac.uk
44-117-928-8896
University of Bristol
Public Release: 21-May-2009
Annals of Internal Medicine
Elderly women with 'dowager's hump' may be at higher risk of earlier death
Hyperkyphosis, or "dowager's hump" -- the exaggerated forward curvature of the upper spine seen commonly in elderly women -- may predict earlier death in women whether or not they have vertebral osteoporosis.
NIH/National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, NIH/National Institute on Aging
Contact: Enrique Rivero
erivero@mednet.ucla.edu
310-794-2273
University of California - Los Angeles
'Wolf man' condition down to huge DNA malfunction
A 31-year-old Chinese man whose body is 96 per cent coated in hair has an extra chunk of DNA that could explain his condition, while others with the condition have missing DNA in the same region
18:11 21 May 2009
HIV vaccine turns muscle into antibody factories
How do you deal with a virus that attacks the immune system even as it tries to fight it off? Bypass the immune system altogether, say researchers
THIS WEEK:  14:20 22 May 2009
Corals upgrade algae to beat the heat
The reef-forming animals can swap their symbiotic algae for more heat-resistant strains in hotter waters, raising hopes that more reefs will survive climate change
14:55 22 May 2009
The Next Steps for Swine Flu: Predictions, Protection and Prevention
Health officials say many people will need three flu shots in the fall, but those born before 1957 may have some immunity.
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
Public Release: 24-May-2009
Association for Psychological Science 21st Annual Convention
Study indicates people by nature are universally optimistic
Despite calamities from economic recessions, wars and famine to a flu epidemic afflicting the Earth, a new study from the University of Kansas and Gallup indicates that humans are by nature optimistic.
Contact: Jill Jess
jilljess@ku.edu
785-864-8858
University of Kansas
Ancient teeth hint that right-handedness is nothing new
Archaeological finds suggest that "lefties" have been coping with a right-handed world for more than half a million years
12:27 23 May 2009
The Coming Superbrain
Artificial intelligence is back in fashion, which raises the question: Will computer intelligence surpass our own?
By JOHN MARKOFF
Eczema's link to asthma uncovered
Scientists believe they have found what triggers many children with eczema to go on to develop asthma.
24 May 2009 01:51 UK