Public Release: 22-Mar-2010
Journal of the American College of Cardiology
Alcohol in moderation is good for sick hearts too
The study shows that moderate consumption, one or two glasses of wine a day or the equivalent amounts of beer or other alcoholic beverages, significantly reduces the risk of death from any cause in those who already suffered from ischemic vascular disease.
European Research Advisory Board
Contact: Americo Bonanni
bonanni@filemazio.net
39-347-930-5981
Catholic University - Campobasso
Public Release: 22-Mar-2010
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Brown University-led team explains how dinosaurs rose to prominence
A scientific team led by Brown University has learned how dinosaurs became rulers of Earth more than 200 million years ago. Widespread volcanism and a spike in atmospheric carbon dioxide wiped out half of all plant species, and extinguished early crocodile relatives that had competed with the earliest dinosaurs. Results appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
National Science Foundation
Contact: Richard Lewis
Richard_Lewis@brown.edu
401-863-3766
Brown University
Public Release: 22-Mar-2010
International Journal of Obesity
Growing by Biblical portions: Last Supper paintings over Millennium depict growing appetites
The sizes of the portions and plates in more than four dozen depictions of the Last Supper -- painted over the past 1,000 years -- have gradually grown bigger and bigger, according to a Cornell University study published in the International Journal of Obesity (April 2010).
Contact: Blaine Friedlander
bpf2@cornell.edu
607-254-8093
Cornell University
Public Release: 22-Mar-2010
Physical Review Letters
Helium rain on Jupiter
There's less neon in Jupiter's upper atmosphere than scientists expected. A new study concludes that neon is being captured in droplets of helium rain.
Contact: James Riordon
riordon@aps.org
301-209-3238
American Physical Society
Exposed: green consumers' dirty little secrets
13:23 22 March 2010
After taking the moral high ground with eco-friendly shopping, we are more likely to behave in morally dubious ways
Personal Health
When Your Looks Take Over Your Life
By JANE E. BRODY
Though tens of thousands of Americans suffer from body dysmorphic disorder, only recently has research begun to shed light on it.
Q&A: Body Dysmorphia
Public Release: 22-Mar-2010
Fifth Decennial: International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections 2010
New superbug surpasses MRSA infection rates in community hospitals
While prevention methods appear to be helping to lower hospital infection rates from MRSA, a deadly antibiotic-resistant bacterium, a new superbug is on the rise, according to research from the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network.
Contact: Erin Pratt
erin.pratt@duke.edu
919-660-1317
Duke University Medical Center
Dotty sensor sees in glorious technicolour
16:36 22 March 2010
Quantum dots could provide a richer colour alternative to traditional image sensing technology
Public Release: 22-Mar-2010
Bone-hard biomaterial
Screws used in surgical operations are often made of titanium. They usually have to be removed after a while or replaced by new ones. A new biomaterial makes this unnecessary. It promotes bone growth and is biodegradable.
Contact: Philipp Imgrund
philipp.imgrund@ifam.fraunhofer.de
49-421-224-6216
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Iceland waits for volcanic shoe to drop
18:24 22 March 2010
If history is any guide, a second, more destructive volcano could blow after this weekend's eruption, even threatening transatlantic flights
Baby Fat May Not Be So Cute After All
By RONI CARYN RABIN
Evidence points to events early in life and even in the womb that can set children on a path to obesity.
Britain to establish space agency
The UK is formally launching its new executive space agency, to put space policy in the hands of one co-ordinating authority.
Public Release: 22-Mar-2010
Current Biology
Our eye position betrays the numbers we have in mind, new study
It will be harder to lie about your age or your poker hand after new research by the University of Melbourne, Australia has revealed that our eye position betrays the numbers we are thinking about.
Contact: Rebecca Scott
rebeccas@unimelb.edu.au
61-383-440-181
University of Melbourne
Public Release: 23-Mar-2010
American Chemical Society 239th National Meeting
Ingredient in tequila plant may fight osteoporosis and other diseases
The plant that gave the world tequila contains a substance that seems ideal for use in a new genre of processed foods -- so-called "functional foods" -- with health benefits over and above serving as a source of nutrients, scientists reported here today at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society
Public Release: 23-Mar-2010
American Chemical Society 239th National Meeting
Hard plastics decompose in oceans, releasing endocrine disruptor BPA
Scientists today reported widespread global contamination of sea sand and sea water with the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) and said that the BPA probably originated from a surprising source: Hard plastic trash discarded in the oceans and the epoxy plastic paint used to seal the hulls of ships
Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society
Public Release: 23-Mar-2010
American Chemical Society 239th National Meeting
New form of insulin can be inhaled rather than injected
A new inhalable powder carrying insulin not only eliminates the pain of injections, but actually delivers the medication faster than a needle, researchers reported today. Their findings were presented at the 239th American Chemical Society National Meeting.
Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society
Public Release: 23-Mar-2010
American Chemical Society 239th National Meeting
New method could revolutionize dating of ancient treasures
Scientists are reporting development of a first-of-its-kind method for determining the age of ancient artifacts without causing damage to the objects. The method could help shed new light on the history of mummified bodies, old maps, cave paintings, and other treasures, they say. Their study is scheduled for presentation in March at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco.
Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society
Public Release: 23-Mar-2010
Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention
Another perk of painkillers? Decreased hormone levels may reduce cancer risk
Postmenopausal women who regularly use aspirin and other analgesics (known as painkillers) have lower estrogen levels, which could contribute to a decreased risk of breast or ovarian cancer.
Contact: Tara Yates
tara.yates@aacr.org
267-646-0558
American Association for Cancer Research
Public Release: 23-Mar-2010
Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions
Patients at risk for complications after coronary artery fistula closure
After surgery to repair abnormally connected heart arteries called coronary artery fistula (CAF) some patients fare worse than others. This study suggests that CAF that drain into the coronary sinus (at the back of the heart) are more likely to have complications after corrective surgery.
Contact: Maggie Francis
maggie.francis@heart.org
214-706-1382
American Heart Association
Public Release: 23-Mar-2010
JAMA
Stopping clinical trials early often exaggerates treatment effects
An international study of nearly 100 clinical trials that were stopped early due to positive treatment effects has found that many of those effects were exaggerated.
Medical Research Council of the UK
Contact: Robert Nellis
newsbureau@mayo.edu
507-284-5005
Mayo Clinic
Farming's rise cultivated fair deals
Market economies may owe more to cultural evolution than to Stone Age instincts
Science News
Public Release: 23-Mar-2010
Proceedings of the Royal Society B
Pulling power points the way to the world's strongest insect
Following months of grueling tests and trials, scientists now reveal the world's strongest insect to be a species of dung beetle called Onthophagus taurus.
Contact: Simon Levey
s.levey@qmul.ac.uk
44-207-822-5404
Queen Mary, University of London
Public Release: 23-Mar-2010
Psicothema
New scale for measuring addiction to work
Researchers from the Jaume I University have proven the usefulness of DUWAS, a new scale for measuring addiction to work, a disorder that affects around 12 percent of all working people in Spain. The experts say that 8 percent of the working population in Spain devotes more than 12 hours per day to their job.
Contact: SINC
info@plataformasinc.es
34-914-251-820
FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology
Machiavellian insects evolve bigger, social brains
15:46 23 March 2010
The unusual social structure of sweat bees is providing some of the best evidence yet that living in a society can boost brain size
Public Release: 23-Mar-2010
Gastroenterology
Virtual biopsy probe system is 'almost perfect' in detecting precancerous polyps during colonoscopy
The newest generation of "virtual biopsy" colonoscopy probes being tested at the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida demonstrate that it might soon be possible to use such a device to determine whether a colon polyp is benign and not remove it for biopsy. Currently, all colon polyps are extracted during a colonoscopy and sent to a pathologist for examination, which adds time, expense, and some surgical risk, to the procedure.
American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Research
Contact: Kevin Punsky
punsky.kevin@mayo.edu
904-953-0746
Mayo Clinic
Telephone Pole-Like Fungus Was Tallest Ever
These ancient fungi lived on algae and bacteria and grew over 26 feet high.
Public Release: 24-Mar-2010
Neuron
Emotions key to judging others
A new study from MIT neuroscientists suggests that our ability to respond appropriately to intended harms -- that is, with outrage toward the perpetrator -- is seated in a brain region associated with regulating emotions.
National Science Foundation, NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, private donors
Contact: Jennifer Hirsch
jfhirsch@mit.edu
617-253-1682
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Public Release: 24-Mar-2010
Animal Cognition
Great apes know they could be wrong
Great apes -- orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas -- realize that they can be wrong when making choices, according to Dr. Josep Call from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. Dr. Call's study was just published online in Springer's journal, Animal Cognition.
Contact: Corinna Schaefer
corinna.schaefer@springer.com
49-622-148-78414
Springer
Universe Has Billions More Stars Than Thought
Counting all of those twinkling lights in the night sky just got a lot harder.
Is 'man flu' an excuse, or the real deal?
Men may have a weaker immune system and could be more vulnerable to so-called 'man flu', scientists propose.
Public Release: 24-Mar-2010
Pediatrics
Children with food allergies should carry 2 doses of emergency medicine
In a large six-year review of emergency department data, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston, in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital, found that many children with severe food-related allergic reactions need a second dose of epinephrine, suggesting that patients carrying EpiPens should carry two doses instead of one.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Keri Stedman
keri.stedman@childrens.harvard.edu
617-919-3110
Children's Hospital Boston
DNA identifies new ancient human
Scientists identify a previously unknown type of ancient human by analysing DNA from a finger bone.
Public Release: 24-Mar-2010
New England Journal of Medicine
New Tulane University study says diabetes at epidemic proportions in China
A large population-based study of diabetes in China conducted by investigators from Tulane University and their colleagues in China has concluded that the disease has reached epidemic proportions in the adult population of China.
Chinese Medical Association Foundation, Chinese Diabetes Society
Contact: Arthur Nead
anead@tulane.edu
504-247-1443
Tulane University
Researchers Puzzled by Role of Osteoporosis Drug in Rare Thighbone Fractures
By GINA KOLATA
Orthopedists have reported some unusually severe thighbone fractures, including some in which the bone snaps like a twig.
Public Release: 25-Mar-2010
Science
Finding a potential new target for treating rheumatoid arthritis
By enhancing the activity of immune cells that protect against runaway inflammation, researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center may have found a novel therapy for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. In a new study published in the March 25, 2010, online edition of Science, the researchers reveal how treating these immune cells with an investigational drug wards off inflammation by holding a particular enzyme at bay.
National Institutes of Health Roadmap for Medical Research, Nanomedicine Development Center Program, Leukemia and Lymphoma Translational Research, Osaka University Immunology Frontier Research Center
Contact: Lauren Woods
lauren.woods@nyumc.org
212-404-3753
NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine
Public Release: 25-Mar-2010
7th European Breast Cancer Conference
Studies reveal associations between pregnancy, breastfeeding, breast cancer and survival
Two studies present new evidence on the associations between pregnancy, breastfeeding, breast cancer and survival.
Contact: Emma Mason
wordmason@mac.com
ECCO-the European CanCer Organisation
Public Release: 25-Mar-2010
Molecular Autism
Autism susceptibility genes identified
Two genes have been associated with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) in a new study of 661 families. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's newly launched journal Molecular Autism found that variations in the genes for two brain proteins, LRRN3 and LRRTM3, were significantly associated with susceptibility to ASD.
Contact: Graeme Baldwin
graeme.baldwin@biomedcentral.com
44-203-192-2165
BioMed Central
Public Release: 25-Mar-2010
Journal of Clinical Investigation
Chymase inhibitors could enhance treatment for damaged hearts
Millions of patients with high blood pressure and heart failure take a class of drugs known as ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors. These drugs prevent the body from processing angiotensin II, a hormone that constricts blood vessels. Scientists have shown that another enzyme present in the heart called chymase is also capable of processing angiotensin II. Adding drugs that interfere with chymase to ACE inhibitors significantly boosted recovery of heart function in animals after heart attack, the researchers found.
National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association
Contact: Jennifer Johnson
jrjohn9@emory.edu
404-727-5692
Emory University
For a trimmer figure, add an extra helping of gut bugs
IN BRIEF:  17:26 25 March 2010
Supplementing the diets of overweight people with one type of human gut microbe makes them lose weight
Public Release: 25-Mar-2010
FASEB Journal
New test takes guesswork out of diagnosing early-stage Alzheimer's disease
A new test developed by Japanese scientists may revolutionize how and when physicians diagnose Alzheimer's disease. According to a research report published online in the FASEB Journal, the new test measures proteins in the spinal fluid known to be one of the main causes of brain degeneration and memory impairment in Alzheimer's patients: high molecular weight A-Beta oligomers.
Contact: Cody Mooneyhan
cmooneyhan@faseb.org
301-634-7104
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Public Release: 25-Mar-2010
Science
Move over predators: Plants can control the food chain too -- from the bottom up
Forget top-to-bottom only. New Cornell University evolutionary biology research shows how plants at the bottom of the food chain have evolved mechanisms that influence ecosystem dynamics as well.
National Science Foundation
Contact: Blaine Friedlander
bpf2@cornell.edu
607-254-8093
Cornell University
Microbes thrive in harsh, Mars-like lakes
21:09 26 March 2010
Salty, acidic lakes in the Australian outback that resemble the inhospitable conditions on ancient Mars contain bustling microbial communities, a new study suggests
Junk-fed rats have 'drug addict' brains
18:00 28 March 2010
Too much fatty food raises the threshold for feelings of satisfaction, just like addictive drugs, sparking a cycle of compulsive overeating
Public Release: 28-Mar-2010
Nature
Paired drugs kill precancerous colon polyps, spare normal tissue
A two-drug combination destroys precancerous colon polyps with no effect on normal tissue, opening a new potential avenue for chemoprevention of colon cancer, a team of scientists at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports in the advance online edition of the journal Nature.
Contact: Scott Merville
smerville@mdanderson.org
713-792-0661
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center