Public Release: 28-Sep-2009
Cancer
More women choosing to remove healthy breast after cancer diagnosis
A new study of New York State data finds that the number of women opting for surgery to remove the healthy breast after a cancer diagnosis in one breast is rising, despite a lack of evidence that the surgery can improve survival.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Contact: David Sampson
david.sampson@cancer.org
American Cancer Society
Public Release: 28-Sep-2009
American Journal of Medical Genetics
How to deliver the news? New advice for doctors diagnosing prenatal Down syndrome
Telling an expectant couple that their child will be born with Down syndrome is a task very few physicians are trained for, claims research published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics which offers several recommendations for how physicians can best deliver the news.
Contact: Ben Norman
Benorman@wiley.com
44-124-377-0375
Wiley-Blackwell
Australia 'uranium' dust concerns
Environmentalists in Australia fear waves of red dust blown in from the outback may contain radioactive particles.
Butterfly 'GPS' found in antennae
North America's Monarch butterflies use a 24-hour "clock" in their antennae to help navigate the 4,000km to overwinter in Mexico, say scientists.
Public Release: 28-Sep-2009
Journal of Experimental Medicine
UCLA study identifies 2 chemicals that could lead to new drugs for genetic disorders
UCLA scientists have identified two chemicals that convince cells to ignore premature signals to stop producing important proteins. The findings could lead to new medications for genetic diseases, such as cancer and muscular dystrophy, that are sparked by missing proteins.
Ataxia-Telangiectasia Medical Research Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Ataxia-Telangiectasia Ease Foundation
Contact: Elaine Schmidt
eschmidt@mednet.ucla.edu
310-794-2272
University of California - Los Angeles
Public Release: 28-Sep-2009
Animal Behavior
Hyenas cooperate, problem-solve better than primates
Spotted hyenas may not be smarter than chimpanzees, but a new study shows that they outperform the primates on cooperative problem-solving tests.
Contact: Karl Leif Bates
karl.bates@duke.edu
919-681-8054
Duke University
Public Release: 28-Sep-2009
PLoS ONE
U of T led research team uncovers evolutionary origins of prion disease gene
A University of Toronto-led team has uncovered the evolutionary ancestry of the prion gene, which may reveal new understandings of how the prion protein causes diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as "mad cow disease."
Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, W. Garfield Weston Foundation
Contact: Jennifer Little
jennifer.little@utoronto.ca
416-946-8423
University of Toronto
Public Release: 28-Sep-2009
Public Release: 29-Sep-2009
British Medical Journal
Obesity in middle-aged women cuts chance of a long and healthy life by almost 80 percent
The more weight women gain from the age of 18 until middle age, the less likely they are to enjoy a long and healthy life, according to new research published on bmj.com today.
Contact: Emma Dickinson
edickinson@bmj.com
44-020-738-36529
BMJ-British Medical Journal International Journal of Sexual Health
Orgasms, sexual health and attitudes about female genitals
A study in the International Journal of Sexual Health reports that women who feel more positively about women's genitals find it easier to orgasm and are more likely to engage in sexual health promoting behaviors. The study created a scale for measuring attitudes toward women's genitals. Such a scale could be useful in therapeutic, medical and health education settings. The study also found that men had more positive attitudes about women's genitals than women.
Joseph Miller Foundation
Contact: Debby Herbenick
debby@indiana.edu
812-855-0364
Indiana University
Observatory
Flavor and Aroma Rise in Champagne Bubbles
By HENRY FOUNTAIN
A study shows that the bubbles contribute to Champagne’s odor and flavor, in the air above the beverage.
Public Release: 28-Sep-2009
Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology
Ein, Zwei, Molson Dry? Researcher says hand gesturing to count in foreign countries can be tricky
If you are planning to do some Oktoberfesting in Germany, you may want to pay attention to how you order your beverages. The server is not giving you a three-for-the-price-of-two beer special; you're holding up the wrong fingers when you order.
Contact: Jamie Hanlon
jamie.hanlon@ualberta.ca
780-492-9214
University of Alberta
HIV’s Ancestors May Have Plagued First Mammals
The retroviruses which gave rise to HIV have been battling it out with mammal immune systems since mammals first evolved around 100 million years ago -- about 85 million years earlier than previously thought, scientists now believe.
Public Release: 29-Sep-2009
British Medical Journal
Obesity in middle-aged women cuts chance of a long and healthy life by almost 80 percent
The more weight women gain from the age of 18 until middle age, the less likely they are to enjoy a long and healthy life, according to new research published on bmj.com today.
Contact: Emma Dickinson
edickinson@bmj.com
44-020-738-36529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Public Release: 29-Sep-2009
PLoS ONE
Did Tyrannosaurus rex suffer from a common bird disease?
Paleontologists Ewan Wolff (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Steve Salisbury (University of Queensland), Jack Horner (Museum of the Rockies) and David Varricchio (Montana State University), published new research in the open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal PLoS ONE that found the Tyrannosaurus rex and its close relatives suffered from a potentially life-threatening infectious disease similar to one that occurs in living birds known as trichomonosis.
Contact: Jen Laloup
press@plos.org
415-624-1220
Public Library of Science
How a tiny bug slew T. rex
16:11 29 September 2009
Could an oral hygienist have extended the life of many a Tyrannosaurus rex'?
Public Release: 29-Sep-2009
New England Journal of Medicine
New blood-thinning drug safer than rat poison
A new drug has been declared to be safer but as effective as the standard anti-coagulant drug warfarin for treating patients with abnormal heart rhythms.
Contact: Steve Pogonowski
press@f1000.com
Faculty of 1000: Biology and Medicine
Public Release: 29-Sep-2009
Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology
Oleocanthal may help prevent, treat Alzheimer's
Oleocanthal, a naturally-occurring compound in extra-virgin olive oil, alters the structure and increases antibody recognition of neurotoxic proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease. The structural change impedes the proteins' ability to damage brain nerve cells, while increased antibody recognition may enhance immunotherapy-based treatments. The findings suggest that oleocanthal may have potential as a preventative and therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's.
NIH/National Institute on Aging
Contact: Leslie Stein
stein@monell.org
267-519-4707
Monell Chemical Senses Center
Computer detects abuse before doctors
13:25 30 September 2009
Victims of domestic abuse can hide the truth from doctors, but they leave clues in their medical records that a computer program has learned to follow
Public Release: 29-Sep-2009
Journal of Retailing
Sold-out products influence consumer choice
An empty store shelf tempts shoppers to buy the next best thing, according to a new study from the University of Alberta.
Contact: Karen Baird
karen.baird@ualberta.ca
780-492-8695
University of Alberta
Public Release: 29-Sep-2009
AIDS
Scientists join forces to explain HIV spread in Central and East Africa
A research team led by scientists at the University of Florida explained why two subtypes of HIV-1 -- the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS -- held steady at relatively low levels for more than 50 years in west central Africa before erupting as an epidemic in east Africa in the 1970s.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: John Pastor
jdpastor@ufl.edu
352-273-5815
University of Florida
Public Release: 30-Sep-2009
Neurology
Can strep throat cause OCD, Tourette syndrome?
New research shows that streptococcal infection does not appear to cause or trigger Tourette syndrome or obsessive-compulsive disorder. The research is published in the September 30, 2009, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Contact: Rachel Seroka
rseroka@aan.com
651-695-2738
American Academy of Neurology
Experts call for Nobel prizes to be revamped
THIS WEEK:  18:00 30 September 2009
New Scientist asked a group of leading scientists to debate the future of the Nobels – the outcome is an open letter calling for a radical modernisation of the prizes
Portable pain weapon may end up in police hands
FEATURE:  18:00 30 September 2009
The US military's latest non-lethal weapon is designed to cause a burning sensation to repel people without causing physical harm
Public Release: 30-Sep-2009
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
Prenatal exposure to flu pandemic increased chances of heart disease
People exposed to a H1NI strain of influenza A while in utero were significantly more likely to have cardiovascular disease later in life. "Our point is that during pregnancy, even mild sickness from flu could affect development with longer consequences," said Caleb Finch, USC professor of gerontology and biological sciences.
NIH/National Institute on Aging, Ellison Medical Foundation, Ruth Ziegler Fund
Contact: Suzanne Wu
suzanne.wu@usc.edu
213-740-0252
University of Southern California
Public Release: 30-Sep-2009
Journal of Sexual Medicine
Sexually satisfied women have better general well-being and more vitality
Pre- and post-menopausal women who self-rated themselves as being sexually satisfied had a higher overall psychological well-being score and scores for "positive well-being" and "vitality," compared with sexually dissatisfied women in a study of 295 women sexually active more than twice a month. The study, published today in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, also uncovered a positive association between age and well-being, but a negative association for general health.
Contact: Jennifer Beal
medicalnews@wiley.com
44-012-437-70633
Wiley-Blackwell
Public Release: 30-Sep-2009
Journal of Medical Ethics
Increase in 'academic doping' could spark routine urine tests for exam students
The increasing use of smart drugs or "nootropics," to boost academic performance, could mean that exam students will face routine doping tests in future, suggests an article in the Journal of Medical Ethics.
Contact: Emma Dickinson
edickinson@bmj.com
44-020-738-36529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Public Release: 30-Sep-2009
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
A potential new imaging agent for early diagnosis of most serious skin cancer
Scientists in Australia are reporting development and testing in laboratory animals of a potential new material for diagnosing malignant melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer. Their study is scheduled for the September 10 issue of the ACS' Journal of the Medicinal Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.
Contact: Michael Woods
m_woods@acs.org
202-872-6293
American Chemical Society
Public Release: 30-Sep-2009
Nature
San Andreas affected by 2004 Sumatran quake
US seismologists have found evidence that the massive 2004 earthquake that triggered killer tsunamis throughout the Indian Ocean weakened at least a portion of California's famed San Andreas Fault. Researchers from Rice University, the Carnegie Institution of Washington and the University of California, Berkeley, published the findings this week in Nature. The study suggests the Earth's largest earthquakes can weaken the strength of fault zones worldwide and trigger periods of increased global seismic activity.
National Science Foundation, Carnegie Institution of Washington, University of California - Berkeley, US Geological Survey
Contact: Jade Boyd
jadeboyd@rice.edu
713-302-2447
Rice University
Public Release: 30-Sep-2009
Astrophysical Journal
Cloudy with a chance of pebble showers
Tidally locked with its star and orbiting very close to it, the exoplanet Corot-7b is hot enough to melt rock on its star-facing side. Its atmosphere consists of the components of silicate rocks in gaseous form and, simulation suggests, periodically rains pebbles or grains of sand onto the molten surface below.
Contact: Bruce Fegley
bfegley@wustl.edu
314-935-4852
Washington University in St. Louis
Public Release: 1-Oct-2009
Journal of Leukocyte Biology
Oxidized form of a common vitamin may bring relief for ulcerative colitis
Here's another reason why you should take your vitamins. A new research report appearing in the October 2009 print issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that retinoic acid, the oxidized form of vitamin A, could be a beneficial treatment for people suffering from ulcerative colitis and other irritable bowel diseases. Specifically they found that retinoic acid helps suppress out-of-control inflammation, which is a hallmark of active ulcerative colitis.
Contact: Cody Mooneyhan
cmooneyhan@faseb.org
301-634-7104
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Public Release: 1-Oct-2009
Nutritional Neuroscience
Breast milk should be drunk at the same time of day that it is expressed
The levels of the components in breast milk change every 24 hours in response to the needs of the baby. A new study published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience shows, for example, how this milk could help newborn babies to sleep.
Contact: SINC
info@plataformasinc.es
34-914-251-820
FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology
Fossil Skeleton From Africa Predates Lucy
Scientists said that Ardi, short for Ardipithecus ramidus, was the earliest known skeleton from the human branch of the primate family tree.
* Graphic: An Early Hominid
By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD
Gas mask bra traps Ig Nobel prize
Designers of a bra that turns into gas masks and a team who found that named cows produce more milk were among the winners of the 2009 Ig Nobel prizes.
By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC News
Public Release: 1-Oct-2009
JAMA
Surgical masks vs. N95 respirators for preventing influenza among health-care workers
Surgical masks appear to be no worse than, and nearly as effective as N95 respirators in preventing influenza in health care workers, according to a study released early online today by JAMA. The study was posted online ahead of print because of its public health implications. It will be published in the November 4 issue of JAMA.
Contact: Veronica McGuire
vmcguir@mcmaster.ca
905-525-9140 x22169
JAMA and Archives Journals
Public Release: 1-Oct-2009
BioScience
Loss of top predators causing surge in smaller predators, ecosystem collapse
The catastrophic decline around the world of "apex" predators such as wolves, cougars, lions or sharks has led to a huge increase in smaller "mesopredators" that are causing major economic and ecological disruptions, a new study concludes.
National Science Foundation
Contact: William Ripple
bill.ripple@oregonstate.edu
541-737-3056
Oregon State University
Sedatives may slow recovery from trauma
Giving sleeping pills to soldiers and earthquake victims is common practice, yet it could be doing more harm than good
THIS WEEK:  17:00 01 October 2009
Sports jocks are oh-so predictable
According to game theory, professional baseball pitchers and American football players do not keep their opponents guessing enough
20:09 01 October 2009
Public Release: 1-Oct-2009
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Iowa State University researcher uncovers potential key to curing tuberculosis
Researchers at Iowa State University have identified an enzyme that helps make tuberculosis resistant to a human's natural defense system. Researchers have also found a method to possibly neutralize that enzyme, which may someday lead to a cure for tuberculosis, a contagious disease that kills 1.5 to 2 million people worldwide annually.
NIH/National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Contact: Reuben Peters
rjpeters@iastate.edu
515-294-8580
Iowa State University
Illegal toxic waste spotted from space
Move over Erin Brockovich – today's environmental detectives can use radar, helicopters and satellites to spot illegal waste dumps
THIS WEEK:  13:39 02 October 2009
Public Release: 2-Oct-2009
Science
New findings show a quick rebound from marine mass extinction event
Researchers from MIT and their collaborators have done the most detailed analysis ever of a layer of sediments deposited during and immediately after the asteroid impact 65 million years ago that wiped out the dinosaurs and 80 percent of Earth's marine life. They found that at least some forms of microscopic marine life -- the so-called "primary producers," or photosynthetic organisms such as algae and cyanobacteria in the ocean -- had recovered within about a century after the mass extinction.
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, European Graduate College Europrox, NASA
Contact: Jen Hirsch
jfhirsch@mit.edu
617-253-1682
Public Release: 2-Oct-2009
Clinical Infectious Diseases
Aspirin misuse may have made 1918 flu pandemic worse
The devastation of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic is well known, but a new article suggests a surprising factor in the high death toll: the misuse of aspirin. Appearing in the November 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online now, the article sounds a cautionary note as present day concerns about the novel H1N1 virus run high.
Contact: John Heys
jheys@idsociety.org
703-299-0412
Infectious Diseases Society of America
Public Release: 2-Oct-2009
Science
Physicists observe magnetism in gas for the first time
An international team of physicists has for the first time observed magnetic behavior in an atomic gas, addressing a decades-old debate as to whether it is possible for a gas or liquid to become ferromagnetic and exhibit magnetic properties.
National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, Army Research Office
Contact: Sean Bettam
s.bettam@utoronto.ca
416-946-7950
University of Toronto
Vital Signs
Vital Signs: A Study Looks at Deaths After Surgery
Patients are much more likely to die after surgery in some hospitals than in others, and conventional medical wisdom has long attributed the excess deaths to a higher rate of postoperative complications. But a new study contradicts that notion.
By RONI CARYN RABIN
Public Release: 4-Oct-2009
Nature Chemical Biology
Understanding a cell's split personality aids synthetic circuits
As scientists work toward making genetically altered bacteria create living "circuits" to produce a myriad of useful proteins and chemicals, they have logically assumed that the single-celled organisms would always respond to an external command in the same way.
National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health
Contact: Richard Merritt
richard.merritt@duke.edu
919-660-8414
Duke University
Public Release: 4-Oct-2009
Nature Physics
Graphite mimics iron's magnetism
Researchers of Eindhoven University of Technology and the Radboud University Nijmegen in The Netherlands show for the first time why ordinary graphite is a permanent magnet at room temperature. The results are promising for new applications in nanotechnology, such as sensors and detectors. In particular graphite could be a promising candidate for a biosensor material. The results will appear online on October 4 in Nature Physics.
NanoNed, Fundamenteel Onderzoek der Materie
Contact: Kees Flipse
C.F.J.Flipse@tue.nl
31-402-474-118
Eindhoven University of Technology
Breast cancer deaths drop over past two decades
The number of women who die from breast cancer has decreased slowly (about 2 percent per year) but steadily since 1990, according to a new report by the American Cancer Society (ACS), released to mark the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
By Katherine Harmon