Public Release: 30-Aug-2009
ESC Congress 2009
High caffeine intake can lead to arrhythmias
Coffee is routinely consumed in countries within the Mediterranean basin. The effects of coffee on the cardiovascular system have been mainly related to caffeine. Acute and chronic caffeine intake appears to have only minor negative consequence on health. However, high levels of caffeine intake have been related to ventricular arrhythmias.
Contact: Jacquelline Partarrieu
partarrieu@escardio.org
34-600-919-617
European Society of Cardiology
Public Release: 30-Aug-2009
ESC Congress 2009
No evidence for the routine use of aspirin in people with asymptomatic vascular events
The routine use of aspirin for the primary prevention of vascular events in people with asymptomatic disease cannot be supported, according to results from the Aspirin for Asymptomatic Atherosclerosis study.
Contact: Jacquelline Partarrieu
jpartarrieu@escardio.org
34-600-919-617
European Society of Cardiology
Public Release: 30-Aug-2009
Opals set to shine with new grading technology
CSIRO and a consortium of Australian Opal miners have unveiled the world's first automated device to grade opals using image analysis, at the 2009 National Council of Jewelery Valuers forum in Sydney.
Contact: Sarah Wood
Sarah.Wood@csiro.au
61-293-253-227
CSIRO Australia
Public Release: 31-Aug-2009
Nature Genetics
NIH study reveals new genetic culprit in deadly skin cancer
Drawing on the power of DNA sequencing, National Institutes of Health researchers have identified a new group of genetic mutations involved in the deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma. This discovery is particularly encouraging because some of the mutations, which were found in nearly one-fifth of melanoma cases, reside in a gene already targeted by a drug approved for certain types of breast cancer.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Geoffrey Spencer
spencerg@mail.nih.gov
301-402-0911
NIH/National Human Genome Research Institute
Public Release: 31-Aug-2009
Annals of Internal Medicine
New assessment quantifies risks and benefits of warfarin treatment for atrial fibrillation
Warfarin therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation -- the most common type of significant heart rhythm disorder -- appears to be most beneficial for the oldest patients, those who have had a prior stroke and for patients with multiple risk factors for stroke.
NIH/National Institute on Aging, NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Eliot B. and Edith C. Shoolman Fund
Contact: Sue McGreevey
smcgreevey@partners.org
617-724-2764
Massachusetts General Hospital
Public Release: 31-Aug-2009
Journal of National Cancer Institute
Overdiagnosis since introduction of prostate cancer screening
The introduction of prostate-antigen screening, or PSA, has resulted in over one million additional men over the last 23 years being diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer -- most of whom were likely overdiagnosed, researchers reported in a new study published online Aug. 31 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Contact: Steve Graff
jncimedia@oxfordjournals.org
301-841-1285
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Public Release: 31-Aug-2009
ESC Congress 2009
Aspirin works for primary prevention in moderate and high risk diabetics
Recent trials contradict the widespread use of aspirin. Uncertainty about the role of aspirin for the prevention of myocardial infarctions and strokes among apparently vascular healthy diabetic patients
Contact: Jacquelline Partarrieu
jpartarrieu@escardio.org
0034-600-919-617
European Society of Cardiology
Public Release: 31-Aug-2009
ESC Congress 2009
New sensitive markers to detect myocardial infarction
Sensitive cardiac troponin and copeptin, a marker of endogenous stress, in combination with standard cardiac troponin allow accurate diagnosis in a shorter time. Quick diagnosis of MI helps reduce complications and save costs.
Contact: Jacquelline Partarrieu
jpartarrieu@escardio.org
0034-600-919-617
European Society of Cardiology
Public Release: 31-Aug-2009
Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Astronomers find coldest, driest, calmest place on Earth
The search for the best observatory site in the world has lead to the discovery of what is thought to be the coldest, driest, calmest place on Earth. No human is thought to have ever been there but it is expected to yield images of the heavens three times sharper than any ever taken from the ground.
Contact: Will Saunders
will@aao.gov.au
61-420-357-808
University of New South Wales
Public Release: 31-Aug-2009
FASEB Journal
How much omega-3 fatty acid do we need to prevent cardiovascular disease?
Scientists found the dose of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) that is "just right" for preventing cardiovascular disease in healthy men. In a research report appearing in the September 2009 print issue of the FASEB Journal, they show that 200 mg of DHA per day is enough to affect biochemical markers that reliably predict cardiovascular problems. This study is the first to identify how much DHA is necessary to promote optimal heart health.
Contact: Cody Mooneyhan
cmooneyhan@faseb.org
301-634-7104
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Public Release: 1-Sep-2009
Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
National guideline released for the treatment of hoarseness
The American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation will issue the first -- and only -- national clinical practice guideline to help health care practitioners identify and manage patients with hoarseness, also known as dysphonia. The guideline emphasizes evidence-based management of hoarseness by clinicians, and educates patients on the prevalence of this common vocal health issue.
Contact: Jessica Mikulski
newsroom@entnet.org
703-535-3762
American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery
Block Head
Can playing Tetris actually make you more intelligent?
Public Release: 1-Sep-2009
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
Exercise alone shown to improve insulin sensitivity in obese sedentary adolescents
A moderate aerobic exercise program, without weight loss, can improve insulin sensitivity in both lean and obese sedentary adolescents, according to a new study accepted for publication in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas that permits glucose to enter cells to be used for energy or stored for future use by the body.
Contact: Aaron Lohr
alohr@endo-society.org
240-482-1280
The Endocrine Society
Really?
The Claim: Chamomile Can Soothe a Colicky Baby.
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
Can chamomile tea help ease a baby’s colic?
* Colic and Crying »
A Doomed Planet, and Scientists Are Lucky to Have Spotted It
By KENNETH CHANG
A so-called hot Jupiter will crash into its star in a relatively brief time.
Public Release: 1-Sep-2009
PLoS Currents
H1N1 pandemic virus does not mutate into 'superbug' in UMd. lab study
In the first study to examine how the H1N1 pandemic virus interacts with other flu strains, laboratory research by the University of Maryland found no evidence of "reassortment" to form a more virulent "superbug," but did demonstrate the heightened communicability of the pandemic form responsible for the so-called swine flu. The pandemic virus prevailed over and out-competed the other strains in ferrets, reproducing, on average, twice as much.
NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Contact: Neil Tickner
ntickner@umd.edu
301-405-4622
University of Maryland
Essay
Finding a Scapegoat When Epidemics Strike
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
In every pandemic, the chain of causation is intricate.
* Map: The Spread of Black Death
Public Release: 1-Sep-2009
Molecular Biology and Evolution
Cradle and birthday of dog identified
Previous studies in the field have indicated that East Asia is where the wolf was tamed and became the dog. It was not possible to be more precise than that. But now researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm have managed to zero in on man's best friend.
Contact: Peter Larsson
peterl9@kth.se
Swedish Research Council
Basics
Skipping Spouse to Spouse Isn’t Just a Man’s Game
By NATALIE ANGIER
For women, too, it can pay to be the remarrying kind.
Public Release: 1-Sep-2009
Journal of Applied Psychology
Daylight-saving time leads to less sleep, more injuries on the job
Every March, most Americans welcome the switch to daylight saving time because of the longer days, but also dread losing an hour of sleep after they move their clocks forward. Now a new study shows that losing just an hour of sleep could pose some dangerous consequences for those in hazardous work environments.
Contact: Audrey Hamilton
ahamilton@apa.org
202-336-5706
American Psychological Association
Public Release: 1-Sep-2009
Journal of Glaciology
Map characterizes active lakes below Antarctic ice
Lakes in Antarctica, concealed under miles of ice, require scientists to come up with creative ways to identify and analyze these hidden features. Now, researchers using space-based lasers on a NASA satellite have created the most comprehensive inventory of lakes that actively drain or fill under Antarctica's ice. They have revealed a continental plumbing system that is more dynamic than scientists thought.
NASA Contact: Sarah Dewitt
sarah.l.dewitt@nasa.gov
301-286-0535
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Biased parrots pass tests with flying colours
00:01 02 September 2009
Parrots that have a strong bias to either their left or right claws or eyes solve problems faster than ambidextrous relatives
The Race to Be an Early Adopter of Technologies Goes Mainstream, a Survey Finds
A new study shows that wide swaths of America play video games, use broadband Internet and have cellphones and PCs.
By JENNA WORTHAM
Public Release: 2-Sep-2009
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Vitamin C deficiency impairs early brain development
In the latest issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a group of researchers from LIFE, Copenhagen, shows that guinea pigs subjected to vitamin C deficiency have 30 percent less hippocampal neurones and markedly worse memory than guinea-pigs given a normal diet. Like guinea pigs, humans are dependent on getting vitamin C through their diet, this leads to the speculation that vitamin C deficiency in pregnant women may also lead to impaired early brain development.
Contact: Professor Jens Lykkesfeldt
jopl@life.ku.dk
453-533-3163
University of Copenhagen
Public Release: 2-Sep-2009
Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery
Resident duty-hour reform associated with increased complication rate
A new study links resident duty-hour reform to negative outcomes for hip fracture patients.
Contact: Kristina Findlay
findlay@aaos.org
847-384-4034
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Public Release: 2-Sep-2009
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
UAB researchers find possible use for the vine that ate the South
Kudzu, the fast-growing vine that has gobbled up some 10 million acres in the Southeast, may prove to be a valuable dietary supplement for metabolic syndrome, a condition that affects 50 million Americans, say researchers at UAB. The researchers say studies on animal models showed that substances called isoflavones found in kudzu root improved regulation of contributors to metabolic syndrome, including blood pressure, high cholesterol and blood glucose.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Bob Shepard
bshep@uab.edu
205-934-8934
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Europe’s oldest stone hand axes emerge in Spain-Findings suggest that tool advance occurred by 900,000 years ago, much earlier than previously thought
Science News
Public Release: 2-Sep-2009
British Journal of Cancer
HPV vaccine could prevent breast cancer: Australian research
Vaccinating women against the human papillomavirus may prevent some forms of breast cancer and save tens of thousands of lives each year, new Australian research suggests.
Contact: Dr Noel Whitaker
n.whitaker@unsw.edu.au
61-404-236-953
University of New South Wales
Public Release: 3-Sep-2009
Obesity
That late-night snack: Worse than you think
Eat less, exercise more. Now there is new evidence to support adding another "must" to the weight-loss mantra: eat at the right time of day. A Northwestern University study has found that eating at irregular times -- the equivalent of the middle of the night for humans, when the body wants to sleep -- influences weight gain. This is the first causal evidence linking meal timing and increased weight gain.
NIH/National Institute on Aging, NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Contact: Megan Fellman
fellman@northwestern.edu
847-491-3115
Northwestern University
Public Release: 3-Sep-2009
World-first swine-flu vaccine trial reveals one dose provides 'strong immune response'
Results from the first swine-flu vaccine trials taking place in Leicester reveal a strong immune response after just one dose.
Contact: Ather Mirza
pressoffice@le.ac.uk
44-011-625-23335
University of Leicester
Three human genes evolved from junk
THIS WEEK:  17:12 03 September 2009
They evolved from scratch via a process thought impossible until recently – and are unique to us
Reboot for UK's 'oldest' computer
Britain's oldest original computer, the Harwell, is being sent to the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley where it is to be restored to working order.
3 September 2009 09:13 UK
Gorilla sexual intrigue could explain human monogamy
12:13 02 September 2009
Female gorillas use sex as a tactic to thwart their rivals – pregnant apes court their silverback male to distract him from rivals
Public Release: 2-Sep-2009
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
YouTube videos yield clues to brain injury symptom
Researchers analyzing YouTube "knockout" videos discovered that moderate-to-severe brain stem trauma stimulates a characteristic, involuntary rigid-forearm posture, dubbed the fencing response. This response was duplicated in animal models under experimental conditions. The presence of a visible, objective symptom of brain injury could be of use to athletic trainers and coaches in making return-to-play decisions after an athlete suffers an impact to the head.
Contact: Keith Hautala
keith.hautala@uky.edu
859-323-6363
University of Kentucky
Public Release: 2-Sep-2009
Angewandte Chemie
Boron-based compounds trick a biomedical protein
Chemists and biologists at the University of Oregon have successfully demonstrated that specially synthesized boron compounds are readily accepted in biologically active enzymes, a move that, they say, is a proof of concept that could lead to new drug design strategies.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Jim Barlow
jebarlow@uoregon.edu
541-346-3481
University of Oregon
Public Release: 2-Sep-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
New study shows those blinded by brain injury may still 'see'
Except in clumsy moments, we rarely knock over the box of cereal or glass of orange juice as we reach for our morning cup of coffee. New research at the University of Western Ontario has helped unlock the mystery of how our brain allows us to avoid these undesired objects.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation
Contact: Jeff Renaud
jrenaud9@uwo.ca
519-661-2111 x85165
University of Western Ontario
Public Release: 2-Sep-2009
Journal of Clinical Oncology
Avastin dramatically improves response, survival in deadly recurrrent glioblastomas
The targeted therapy Avastin, alone and in combination with the chemotherapy drug CPT-11, significantly increased response rates, progression-free survival times and survival rates in patients with a deadly form of brain cancer that had recurred.
Genentech
Contact: Kim Irwin
kirwin@mednet.ucla.edu
310-206-2805
University of California - Los Angeles
Skin Deep
Plastic Surgery May Also Ease Migraines
By CATHERINE SAINT LOUIS
Earlier last month, news of a surgical “cure” that touts a high success rate ricocheted worldwide.
Guatemala Mayan city may have ended in pyramid battle
Reuters
New microprocessor runs on thin air
17:25 03 September 2009
The air-puffing processor uses pressure variations to crunch 1s and 0s, and could be used in lab chips used to test for disease
Discovery of HIV's weak spot boosts vaccine quest
19:32 03 September 2009
Antibodies that bind to a hitherto unknown weak spot on HIV have been found, reviving hopes that a potent vaccine is within reach
Public Release: 4-Sep-2009
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Syracuse University research team discovers switch that causes the body to produce cancerous cells
A team of Syracuse University researchers discovered a second molecular switch within the Mixed Lineage Leukemia protein complex that they believe could be exploited to prevent the overproduction of abnormal cells that are found in several types of cancer, including leukemia.
Contact: Judy Holmes
jlholmes@syr.edu
315-443-8085
Syracuse University
Public Release: 4-Sep-2009
HortScience
Anticancer compound found in American mayapple
A common weed called American mayapple may soon offer an alternative to an Asian cousin that's been harvested almost to extinction because of its anti-cancer properties. The near-extinct Asian plant, Podophyllyum emodi, produces podophyllotoxin, a compound used in manufacturing etoposide, the active ingredient in a drug used for treating lung and testicular cancer. Podophyllyum emodi is a cousin of the common mayapple weed found in the United States.
Contact: michael W. Neff
mwneff@ashs.org
703-836-4606
American Society for Horticultural Science
Public Release: 4-Sep-2009
European Respiratory Journal
Smoke no longer found in European hospitals
Tobacco use is prohibited in hospitals in many European countries, although levels of compliance with this regulation differ. A study carried out by researchers from the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) has shown for the first time that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in European hospitals is "low" and "without any notable differences" between them.
Contact: SINC
info@plataformasinc.es
34-914-251-820
FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology
Public Release: 5-Sep-2009
Medical Journal of Australia
Fear of insurance rejection deters potentially life saving genetic tests for bowel cancer
An Australian study of families with genetic risk of bowel cancer has found that 50 percent of participants declined genetic testing when informed of insurance implications.
Contact: Rebecca Scott
rebeccas@unimelb.edu.au
61-383-440-181
University of Melbourne
Universal translator for web browsers
Reading web pages written in foreign languages is becoming easier thanks to a browser plug-in which automatically provides translations
NEWS:  10:00 05 September 2009
Observatory
Breath Sensor Identifies Signs of Lung Cancer
Researchers say they have developed an inexpensive, portable sensor technology that can quickly distinguish between the breath of lung cancer patients and healthy people.
By HENRY FOUNTAIN
Vital Signs
Awareness: Clinical Trial Rule Is Widely Ignored
Many researchers are ignoring a requirement that they register proposed clinical trials in a government database as a condition for publishing their results, a new study shows.
By RONI CARYN RABIN
Public Release: 6-Sep-2009
Society for General Microbiology Autumn 2009 Meeting
Using waste to recover waste uranium
Using bacteria and inositol phosphate, a chemical analogue of a cheap waste material from plants, researchers at Birmingham University have recovered uranium from the polluted waters from uranium mines. The same technology can also be used to clean up nuclear waste. Professor Lynne Macaskie, this week presented the group's work to the Society for General Microbiology's meeting at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
Contact: Dianne Stilwell
diannestilwell@me.com
44-795-720-0214
Society for General Microbiology
Public Release: 6-Sep-2009
Nature Genetics
Largest ever Alzheimer's genome study unveils dementia mysteries
British scientists have discovered two new genes associated with Alzheimer's disease, while French colleagues uncovered a third. The results, from the largest ever Alzheimer's genome-wide association study involving 16,000 individuals, are published in Nature Genetics. They are the first new genes found to be associated with the common form of Alzheimer's disease since 1993.
Alzheimer's Research Trust, Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, Welsh Assembly Government, et al.
Contact: Andrew Scheuber
ascheuber@alzheimers-research.org.uk
44-774-827-2171
Alzheimer's Research Trust
Public Release: 6-Sep-2009
12th European Meeting on Complement in Human Disease
Piece from childhood virus may save soldiers' lives
A harmless shard from the shell of a common childhood virus may halt a biological process that kills a significant percentage of battlefield casualties, heart attack victims and oxygen-deprived newborns, according to research presented Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009, at the 12th European meeting on complement in human disease in Budapest, Hungary.
Contact: Doug Gardner
gardneda@evms.edu
757-274-9027
Eastern Virginia Medical School