Public Release: 14-Sep-2009
Cancer Research
Diabetes drug kills cancer stem cells in combination treatment in mice
In a one-two punch, a familiar diabetes drug reduced tumors faster and prolonged remission in mice longer than chemotherapy alone by targeting cancer stem cells, Harvard Medical School researchers reported in the Sept. 14 online first edition of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Contact: Jeremy Moore
jeremy.moore@aacr.org
267-646-0557
American Association for Cancer Research
Public Release: 14-Sep-2009
Applied Cognitive Psychology
Fake video dramatically alters eyewitness accounts
Researchers at the University of Warwick have found that fake video evidence can dramatically alter people's perceptions of events, even convincing them to testify as an eyewitness to an event that never happened.
Contact: Kelly Parkes-Harrison
k.e.parkes@warwick.ac.uk
0247-615-0483
University of Warwick
Public Release: 14-Sep-2009
Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences
Communication problems in dementia care cause physical strain
Excessive physical strain in dementia care is not so much related to equipment or the resident's body weight as it is due to communication problems and misunderstandings. This is shown in a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Contact: Cristina Wångblad
cristina.wangblad@lundby.goteborg.se
46-031-366-7790
University of Gothenburg
Public Release: 14-Sep-2009
Cell Transplantation
Green tea component may help preserve stored platelets, tissues
Using EGCG, a polyphenol component in green tea known to have anti-oxidative properties, two teams of Japanese researchers found that EGCG enhances the shelf life of stored blood platelet cells and also helps preserve cryopreserved skin grafts longer than current procedures allow. ECGC is thought to be able to help maintain and protect PC surface proteins and lipids and preserve skin grafts by its anti-oxidant properties following its absorption into membrane lipids and proteins.
Japanese Society for Organ preservation and Molecular Biology
Contact: Suong-Hyu Hyon, Ph.D.
biogen@frontier.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair
Public Release: 14-Sep-2009
Chest
Popular stomach acid reducer triples risk of developing pneumonia
A popular stomach-acid reducer used to prevent stress ulcers in critically ill patients needing breathing machine support increases the risk of those patients contracting pneumonia threefold, according to researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Contact: Shannon Koontz
shkoontz@wfubmc.edu
336-716-2415
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center€
Pfizer to pay huge fine for improper drug promotion
The pharmaceutical giant will pay $2.3 billion to settle charges of improper drug promotion - but will it change anything?
UPFRONT:  13:23 14 September 2009
Jupiter had brief encounter with icy companion
For 12 years in the middle of last century, the giant planet drew a passing comet into orbit before letting it go again
13:37 14 September 2009
Public Release: 14-Sep-2009
Circulation
Study shows common pain cream could protect heart during attack
New research from the University of Cincinnati shows that a common, over-the-counter pain salve rubbed on the skin during a heart attack could serve as a cardiac-protectant, preventing or reducing damage to the heart while interventions are administered.
National Institutes of Health, University of Cincinnati
Contact: Katie Pence
katie.pence@uc.edu
513-558-4561
University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center
Public Release: 14-Sep-2009
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
Texas A&M researcher shows possible link between 1918 El Niño and flu pandemic
Research conducted at Texas A&M University casts doubts on the notion that El Niño has been getting stronger because of global warming and raises interesting questions about the relationship between El Niño and a severe flu pandemic 91 years ago. The findings are based on analysis of the 1918 El Niño, which the new research shows to be one of the strongest of the 20th century.
NOAA
Contact: Benjamin Giese
b-giese@tamu.edu
979-845-2306
Texas A&M University
Electronics 'missing link' united with rest of the family
The team behind the memristor has upgraded a standard chip with the recently discovered components, raising the prospect of brain-like hardware able to learn
16:40 14 September 2009
Personal Health
Early Warning for a Deadly Kidney Disease
A test from the National Kidney Foundation can alert people to an illness that often shows no symptoms until the organs are almost ready to fail.
* Q&A: Kidney Disease
* Health Guide: Kidney Disease »
By JANE E. BRODY
Basics
An Organ of Many Talents, at the Root of Serious Ills
The pancreas, which performs both endocrine and exocrine functions, is pivotal in diabetes and obesity.
By NATALIE ANGIER
Methane mining could trigger killer gas cloud
A rush to extract methane from the depths of Africa's Lake Kivu could trigger a huge upwelling of suffocating gas, potentially affecting over 2 million people
THIS WEEK:  10:30 15 September 2009
Public Release: 15-Sep-2009
Journal of Experimental Botany
Weeding out marijuana: Researchers close in on engineering recognizable, drug-free Cannabis plant
In a first step toward engineering a drug-free Cannabis plant for hemp fiber and oil, University of Minnesota researchers have identified genes producing tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive substance in marijuana. Studying the genes could also lead to new and better drugs for pain, nausea and other conditions.
Contact: Patty Mattern
mattern@umn.edu
612-624-2801
University of Minnesota
Public Release: 15-Sep-2009
Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions
Two treatment innovations improve heart function after heart attack
Supersaturated oxygen given during treatment for a STEMI heart attack can reduce heart muscle damage. The larger the area of heart muscle threatened, the greater the reduction in damage. Supersaturated oxygen doesn't increase a patient's risk of serious ill effects, such as death or stroke. Manually removing a blood clot during angioplasty provided greater recovery of heart function.
Contact: Maggie Francis
maggie.francis@heart.org
214-706-1382
American Heart Association
Public Release: 15-Sep-2009
FASEB Journal
UT scientists discover link between protein and lung disease
In a development that could lead to a novel approach to the treatment of a devastating lung disease, biochemists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston report they are the first to link the osteopontin protein to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Findings appear online and will be in the January 2010 print issue of the FASEB Journal, the journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.
National Institutes of Health and the National Center for Research Resources
Contact: Robert Cahill
Robert.Cahill@uth.tmc.edu
713-500-3030
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Public Release: 15-Sep-2009
PLoS ONE
Scary music is scarier with your eyes shut
Dr. Talma Hendler of Tel Aviv University reports that the simple fact of closing the eyes can elicit more intense physical responses in the brain itself, visible on fMRIs.
Contact: George Hunka
ghunka@aftau.org
212-742-9070
American Friends of Tel Aviv University
Public Release: 16-Sep-2009
Astronomy & Astrophysics
First solid evidence for a rocky exoplanet
The longest set of HARPS measurements ever made has firmly established the nature of the smallest and fastest-orbiting exoplanet known, CoRoT-7b, revealing its mass as five times that of Earth's. Combined with CoRoT-7b's known radius, less than twice Earth's, this tells us that the exoplanet's density is quite similar to the Earth's, suggesting a solid, rocky world. The extensive dataset also reveals the presence of another so-called super-Earth in this alien solar system.
Contact: Henri Boffin
hboffin@eso.org
49-893-200-6222
ESO
Saturn's moon Titan has a foggy bottom
The sighting of methane fog in the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan shows Earth is not the only solar-system body with a 'hydrological' cycle
IN BRIEF:  15:18 15 September 2009
Durians and booze: worse than a stinking hangover
There may be something in the Asian folk belief that consuming durians and alcohol together is a bad idea
UPFRONT:  11:38 16 September 2009

Public Release: 16-Sep-2009
Journal of National Cancer Institute
Cases of liver cancer reduced in a younger population vaccinated for HBV
A 20-year follow-up study revealed a dramatic drop in liver cancer cases among 6- to 19-year-olds who were vaccinated for the hepatitis B virus at birth, according to a study published online Sept. 16 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: 16-Sep-2009
Nature
Scientists cure color blindness in monkeys
Writing online in the journal Nature, scientists from the University of Florida and the University of Washington cast a rosy light on the potential for gene therapy to treat adult vision disorders involving cone cells -- the most important cells for vision in people. Scientists used gene therapy to cure two squirrel monkeys of color blindness -- the most common genetic disorder in people.
National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Eye Institute, Harry J. Heeb Foundations, Posner Foundation, Research to Prevent Blindness
Contact: John Pastor
jdpastor@ufl.edu
352-273-5815
University of Florida
Public Release: 16-Sep-2009
BMC Family Practice
GPs' gut feelings defined
"Gut feelings" experienced by GPs play a substantial role in their diagnostic reasoning process, but always in combination with analytical reasoning. Gut feelings can be separated into the sense of alarm and the sense of reassurance. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Family Practice worked with 27 medical opinion leaders to closely define the concepts, which will allow future research to evaluate the effectiveness of this "gut-compass."
Contact: Graeme Baldwin
graeme.baldwin@biomedcentral.com
44-020-319-22165
BioMed Central
Pursuing a Battery So Electric Vehicles Can Go the Extra Miles
I.B.M. executives said the company had begun an effort to improve battery storage, and a future generation lithium-air battery might be the answer.
By JOHN MARKOFF
Lunar Craters May Be Chilliest Spots in Solar System
Shadowy impact sites on the south pole of the Moon could be the coldest places in the solar system, NASA scientists said in unveiling findings from a lunar spacecraft.
By KENNETH CHANG
    Tiny ancestor is T. rex blueprint
A 3m-long dinosaur fossil from China which predates T. Rex by 60 million years is a blueprint for the mighty carnivore, say scientists.
Ancestor of T. rex found in China
18 September 2009 03:04 UK
Too much radiation for astronauts to make it to Mars
THIS WEEK:  18:00 16 September 2009
Crews could exceed NASA's recommended maximum doses of space radiation before they get anywhere near the Red Planet
Public Release: 16-Sep-2009
Clinical Cancer Research
Guide on lung cancer in 'never-smokers': A different disease and different treatments
A committee of scientists led by Johns Hopkins investigators has published a new guide to the biology, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in never-smokers, fortifying measures for what physicians have long known is a very different disease than in smokers.
Contact: Vanessa Wasta
wastava@jhmi.edu
410-955-1287
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Public Release: 16-Sep-2009
Barrow researcher finds natural hydrogel helps heal spinal cord
Research led by a scientist at the Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center has shown injecting biomaterial gel into a spinal cord injury site provides significantly improved healing. The project that also included researchers from Purdue University and Arizona State University indicates that a "practical path" to treatment may be found for spinal injury patients.
Contact: Lynne Reaves
lreaves@chw.edu
602-406-4734
St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center
Public Release: 17-Sep-2009
Current Biology
Introduced Japanese white-eyes pose major threat to Hawaii's native and endangered birds
In the late 1920s, people intentionally introduced birds known as Japanese white-eyes into Hawaiian agricultural lands and gardens for purposes of bug control. Now, that decision has come back to bite us. A recent increase in the numbers of white-eyes that live in old-growth forests is leaving native bird species with too little to eat, according to a report published online on Sept. 17 in Current Biology
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press
Robots get smarter by asking for help
FEATURE:  14:05 17 September 2009
Being able to ask for human help when they come across something unfamiliar could help robots that navigate by recognising objects
Public Release: 17-Sep-2009
Science
Negative public opinion an early warning signal for terrorism, Princeton professor says
An analysis of public opinion polls and terrorist activity in 143 pairs of countries has shown for the first time that when people in one country hold negative views toward the leadership and policies of another, terrorist acts are more likely to be carried out.
Contact: Kitta MacPherson
kittamac@princeton.edu
609-258-5729
Princeton University
Public Release: 17-Sep-2009
Science
Researchers make rare meteorite find using new camera network in Australian desert
Researchers have discovered an unusual kind of meteorite in the Western Australian desert and have uncovered where in the Solar System it came from, in a very rare finding published today in the journal Science.
Contact: Laura Gallagher
l.gallagher@imperial.ac.uk
44-020-759-48432
Imperial College London
Probe gets clearest glimpse yet of cosmic dawn
21:40 17 September 2009
The recently launched Planck spacecraft has imaged its first strip of sky, revealing the afterglow of the big bang in unprecedented detail
Public Release: 17-Sep-2009
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
New vitamin K analysis supports the triage theory
An important analysis conducted by Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute scientists suggests the importance of ensuring optimal dietary intakes of vitamin K to prevent age-related conditions such as bone fragility, arterial and kidney calcification, cardiovascular disease, and possibly cancer. Vitamin K is concentrated in dark green plants such as spinach or Swiss chard, and is either not present or present in only small amounts in most multivitamin pills.
Contact: Erin Goldsmith
egoldsmith@mail.cho.org
510-428-3069
Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland
Public Release: 17-Sep-2009
Blood
Rare genetic disease successfully reversed using stem cell transplantation
A recent study by Scripps Research Institute scientists offers good news for families of children afflicted with the rare genetic disorder, cystinosis. In research that holds out hope for one day developing a potential therapy to treat the fatal disorder, the study shows that the genetic defect in mice can be corrected with stem cell transplantation.
Contact: Keith McKeown
kmckeown@scripps.edu
858-784-8134
Scripps Research Institute
Public Release: 18-Sep-2009
Researchers prolong the half-life of biopharmaceutical proteins
To prolong the "half-life" of biopharmaceuticals such as interferon, biochemists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen combine these small proteins with a molecular "balloon" that swells in the presence of water -- keeping them from being quickly filtered from the blood. The "balloon" itself consists of a biological polymer and can be produced together with the pharmaceutical protein by bacteria. In animal trials, this technology has prolonged interferon's half-life by a factor of 60.
Contact: Patrick Regan
presse@zv.tum.de
49-892-892-2743
Technische Universitaet Muenchen
Public Release: 18-Sep-2009
Stroke
Cheap, quick bedside 'eye movement' exam outperforms MRI for diagnosing stroke in patients
In a small "proof of principle" study, stroke researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Illinois have found that a simple, one-minute eye movement exam performed at the bedside worked better than an MRI to distinguish new strokes from other less serious disorders in patients complaining of dizziness, nausea and spinning sensations.
Contact: Christen Brownlee
cbrownlee@jhmi.edu
410-955-7832
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Public Release: 18-Sep-2009
Annals of Internal Medicine
Medications effective in reducing risks for breast cancer can also cause serious side effects
Three drugs that reduce a woman's chance of getting breast cancer also have been shown to cause adverse effects. The research conducted by Oregon Health & Science University Oregon Evidence-based Practice Center is the first to make a direct, comprehensive comparison of drugs that reduce the risk of breast cancer so that women and their health-care providers can assess their potential effectiveness and adverse effects.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, US Department of Health and Human Services Contact: Tamara Hargens-Bradley
hargenst@ohsu.edu
503-494-8231
Oregon Health & Science University
Public Release: 18-Sep-2009
Nevada Public Health Association Conference
Nevada professor discovers new way to calculate body's 'Maximum Weight Limit'
Body Mass Index, or BMI, is an index used to determine healthy body weight. But, calculating BMI involves a complex formula, and then charts or online calculators are needed to convert the BMI information to a "healthy weight range." University of Nevada, Reno Professor of Applied Statistics George Fernandez has found a much simpler way of calculating a "Maximum Weight Limit," which closely corresponds to weight recommendations listed on BMI charts.
Contact: Claudene Wharton
whartonc@unr.edu
University of Nevada, Reno
Public Release: 18-Sep-2009
Journal of Infectious Diseases
New rabies vaccine may require only a single shot... not 6
A person, usually a child, dies of rabies every 20 minutes. However, only one inoculation may be all it takes for rabies vaccination, according to new research published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases by researchers at the Jefferson Vaccine Center.
Contact: Emily Shafer
emily.shafer@jefferson.edu
215-955-6300
Thomas Jefferson University
Well
With Soap and Water or Sanitizer, a Cleaning That Can Stave Off the Flu
A host of recent studies finds that hand-to-face contact has a surprising impact on health.By TARA PARKER-POPE
Belatedly, Egypt Spots Flaws in Wiping Out Pigs
When the government killed all the pigs in Egypt this spring in an attempt to combat swine flu, it was warned that Cairo would be overwhelmed with trash. Now, it is.
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN
F.D.A. to Require Strict Warning on Anti-Nausea Drug
The drug Phenergan, made by Wyeth, was mistakenly injected intravenously into a patient. She sued after her hand and forearm were amputated because of complications.
By GARDINER HARRIS