Public Release: 12-Apr-2010
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Antidepressants as treatment immediately following a stroke?
A study in rodents shows the growth of new neurons, also known as neurogenesis, lessens the severity of stroke and dramatically improves function following a stroke. The research, undertaken at the Buck Institute for Age Research, suggests that drugs shown to promote neurogenesis in rodents could have benefits for human stroke victims and that those drugs -- which include antidepressants and mood stabilizers such as lithium -- may be suitable for study in human clinical trials.
Contact: Kris Rebillot
krebillot@buckinstitute.org
415-209-2080
Buck Institute for Age Research
Public Release: 12-Apr-2010
Journal of Clinical Investigation
Stress hormones accelerate tumor growth
Chronic stress has recently been implicated as a factor that may accelerate the growth of tumors; the mechanisms underlying this effect have not been determined. However, new research using human ovarian cancer cell lines and tumor specimens indicates that stress hormones can contribute to tumor progression in patients with ovarian cancer, suggesting that they might be good therapeutic targets.
National Institutes of Health, Zarrow Foundation, EIF Foundation, Blanton-Davis Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, Marcus Foundation
Contact: Karen Honey
press_releases@the-jci.org
734-546-5242
Journal of Clinical Investigation
Public Release: 12-Apr-2010
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Study: Patients with amnesia still feel emotions, despite memory loss
A new University of Iowa study offers some good news for caregivers and loved ones of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Patients might forget a joke or a meaningful conversation -- but even so, the warm feelings associated with the experience can stick around and boost their mood.
Fraternal Order of Eagles, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Kiwanis International Foundation
Contact: Jennifer Brown
jennifer-l-brown@uiowa.edu
319-356-7124
University of Iowa - Health Science
Public Release: 12-Apr-2010
Archives of Neurology
Study identifies food combination associated with reduced Alzheimer's disease risk
Individuals whose diet includes more salad dressing, nuts, fish, poultry and certain fruits and vegetables and fewer high-fat dairy products, red meats, organ meats and butter appear less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the June print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Contact: Karin Eskenazi
ket2116@columbia.edu
212-305-3900
JAMA and Archives Journals
Public Release: 12-Apr-2010
Clinical Infectious Diseases
Prevalence of HIV in Africa is leading to new strains of Salmonella, say scientists
Scientists at the University of Liverpool have discovered that dangerous strains of Salmonella are beginning to emerge in people infected with HIV in Africa.
Wellcome Trust
Contact: Kate Spark
kate.spark@liv.ac.uk
44-151-794-2247
University of Liverpool
Public Release: 12-Apr-2010
Journal of Lipid Research
U of I study: Lack of omega-6 fatty acid linked to severe dermatitis
University of Illinois scientists have learned that a specific omega-6 fatty acid may be critical to maintaining skin health.
US Department of Agriculture National Needs Fellowship Award, National Institutes of Health
Contact: Phyllis Picklesimer
p-pickle@illinois.edu
217-244-2827
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Study Sees a Slant in Articles on Drug
Public Release: 12-Apr-2010
Journal of Lipid Research
U of I study: Lack of omega-3 fatty acid linked to male infertility
According to a University of Illinois study, omega-3 fatty acids may be good for more than heart health. A little-known omega-3 may have implications for treating male infertility.
CONACyT Mexico, National Institutes of Health, Foundation Fighting Blindness, Research to Prevent Blindness
Contact: Phyllis Picklesimer
p-pickle@illinois.edu
217-244-2827
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Public Release: 12-Apr-2010
Clinical Cancer Research
UNC study offers first clinical evidence of anti-cancer drug triggering viral infection
A new study led by UNC scientists shows that a common cancer drug can activate a viral infection that, paradoxically, can help anti-viral medications eradicate virus-associated cancer.
Contact: Dianne Shaw
dgs@med.unc.edu
919-966-5905
University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Discovery
First Mention: Pertussis, 1913
Second Opinion: In Reporting Symptoms, Don’t Patients Know Best?
Public Release: 13-Apr-2010
Tissue Engineering
A lab rat -- created in the lab
Prof. Amit Gefen of Tel Aviv University has concluded that tissue necessary for animal trials can be produced from fat, skin, bone and muscle cells. His breakthrough study could have hundreds of applications in the pharmaceutical and medical world.
Contact: George Hunka
ghunka@aftau.org
212-742-9070
American Friends of Tel Aviv University
Public Release: 13-Apr-2010
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Scientists find new genes for cancer, other diseases in plants, yeast and worms
From deep within the genomes of organisms as diverse as plants, worms and yeast, scientists have uncovered new genes responsible for causing human diseases such as cancer and deafness.
Contact: Lee Clippard
lclippard@mail.utexas.edu
512-232-0675
University of Texas at Austin
Public Release: 13-Apr-2010
Neurological Research
Tapeworm brain infection 'serious health concern'
Tapeworm infections of the brain, which can cause epileptic seizures, appear to be increasing in Mexico and bordering southwestern states, Loyola University Health System researchers report.
Contact: Jim Ritter
jritter@lumc.edu
708-216-2445
Loyola University Health System
People pick up pepper virus
10:45 14 April 2010
The first evidence of a plant virus infecting people has been found
Maternal Deaths Decline Sharply Across the Globe
By DENISE GRADY
For the first time in decades, there has been a significant drop worldwide in deaths from pregnancy and childbirth.
Jackhammer 'superdrill' could speed mine rescues
THIS WEEK:  17:54 14 April 2010
A drill now in development could reach miners trapped underground much more quickly than is possible with today's equipment
Public Release: 14-Apr-2010
Journal of Natural Products
Ginkgo herbal medicines may increase seizures in people with epilepsy
Restrictions should be placed on the use of Ginkgo biloba -- a top-selling herbal remedy -- because of growing scientific evidence that Ginkgo may increase the risk of seizures in people with epilepsy and could reduce the effectiveness of anti-seizure drugs, a new report concludes. The article appears in ACS' monthly Journal of Natural Products.
Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society
Public Release: 14-Apr-2010
Healing haze: Substances in smoke left over from forest fires speed plant growth
The hazy smoke lingering after forest fires contains chemicals that summon the forest back to life -- and now are emerging as a potential new generation of agricultural chemicals that could boost food crop production and revitalize barren soil. Those biochemical signaling molecules, which stimulate the plant growth, are the topic of an article in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly news magazine.
Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society
Public Release: 14-Apr-2010
62nd AAN Annual Meeting
Statins may slow progression of multiple sclerosis, new study finds
A UCSF-led study examining the impact of statins on the progression of multiple sclerosis found a lower incidence of new brain lesions in patients taking the cholesterol-lowering drug in the early stages of the disease as compared to a placebo.
Contact: Lauren Hammit
lauren.hammit@ucsf.edu
415-476-2557
University of California - San Francisco
Exoplanets Orbit Stars in Reverse
Exoplanets are orbiting backwards, turning theories of planet formation upside-down.
Public Release: 15-Apr-2010
Environmental Research Letters
Link between solar activity and the UK's cold winters
A link between low solar activity and jet streams over the Atlantic could explain why, despite global warming trends, people in regions North East of the Atlantic Ocean might need to brace themselves for more frequent cold winters in years to come.
Contact: Joseph Winters
joseph.winters@iop.org
44-020-747-04815
Institute of Physics
Public Release: 15-Apr-2010
Slobbery kisses from 'man's best friend' aid cancer research
Fido's wet licks might hold more than love. They could provide the DNA keys to findings new treatments for rare cancers and other diseases in both dogs and human patients.
NIH/National Cancer Institute, PetSmart, Hill's Pet Nutrition
Contact: Steve Yozwiak
syozwiak@tgen.org
602-343-8704
The Translational Genomics Research Institute
Health worries over antibacterial soap additive
UPFRONT:  13:11 15 April 2010
The safety of antimicrobial soaps and toothpastes is being reviewed over concerns that they could disrupt hormones
When a Volcano Kills Quietly
Analysis by Michael Reilly  Mon Mar 15, 2010 03:21 PM ET
Ruapehu In June of 1996 New Zealand's Mt. Ruapehu erupted with violence. Its ash cloud blotted out the sun for miles,  climbing almost 30,000 feet into the atmosphere. In all, some 7 million tons of rock and ash were ejected. Yet no one was killed. At least, not within 60 miles of the volcano.But in the cities of Auckland and Hamilton, hundreds of miles from Ruapehu,  more people than usual started showing up at hospitals, many of them later dying of aggravated respiratory diseases.
Public Release: 15-Apr-2010
PLoS Computational Biology
Weizmann scientists developed an electronic 'nose' that can predict the pleasantness of novel odors
Weizmann Institute scientists have 'trained' an electronic system to be able to predict the pleasantness of novel odors, just like a human would perceive them. In research recently published in PLoS Computational Biology, the scientists argue that the perception of an odor's pleasantness is innately hard-wired to its molecular structure, and it is only within specific contexts that personal or cultural differences are made apparent.
Contact: Yivsam Azgad
news@weizmann.ac.il
972-893-43856
Weizmann Institute of Science
Public Release: 15-Apr-2010
Lancet
Lung virus taking its toll on young lives, study finds
A common virus that causes wheezing and pneumonia claims the lives of up to 200,000 children worldwide each year, a study has found.
World Health Organization, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Contact: Anna Borthwick
anna.borthwick@ed.ac.uk
44-131-651-4400
University of Edinburgh
City in Oregon Considers Beacon for ‘the Big One’
By WILLIAM YARDLEY
The city of Cannon Beach, Ore., wants to build an evacuation tower to shelter residents and visitors from a tsunami or an earthquake.
Public Release: 15-Apr-2010
PLoS ONE
Pitt Dental School researchers find susceptibility for caries, gum disease in genes
Certain genetic variations may be linked to higher rates of tooth decay and aggressive periodontitis, according to two papers published recently in the Journal of Dental Medicine and in PLoS ONE by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine and their collaborators.
Pitt School of Dental Medicine, others
Contact: Anita Srikameswaran
SrikamAV@upmc.edu
412-578-9193
University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences
Public Release: 15-Apr-2010
Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology
Low vitamin D levels associated with more asthma symptoms and medication use
Low levels of vitamin D are associated with lower lung function and greater medication use in children with asthma, according to researchers at National Jewish Health. In a paper published online this week in the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, Daniel Searing, MD, and his colleagues also reported that vitamin D enhances the activity of corticosteroids, the most effective controller medication for asthma.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: William Allstetter
allstetterw@njhealth.org
303-398-1002
National Jewish Medical and Research Center
Public Release: 15-Apr-2010
Texas Children's Cancer Center first in Texas to magnetically lengthen nine-year-old's leg as she grows
Nine-year-old Morgan LaRue is the first cancer patient in Texas to benefit from a groundbreaking procedure that will magnetically lengthen her leg, sparing her the possibility of up to 10 future surgeries as her body grows. The implant and extension took place at Texas Children's Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
Contact: Carol Wittman
cmwittma@texaschildrens.org
832-824-2040
Texas Children's Hospital
Public Release: 15-Apr-2010
Astrophysical Journal
Source of zodiac glow identified
The eerie glow that straddles the night time zodiac in the eastern sky is no longer a mystery. First explained by Joshua Childrey in 1661 as sunlight scattered in our direction by dust particles in the solar system, the source of that dust was long debated. David Nesvorny and Peter Jenniskens put the stake in asteroids. More than 85 percent of the dust, they conclude, originated from Jupiter Family comets, not asteroids.
NASA
Contact: Maria Martinez
mmartinez@swri.org
210-522-3305
Southwest Research Institute
Appalachian professor’s research finds no evidence of cannibalism at Donner Party campsite
Appalachian State University
New species of nose-dwelling leech discovered
A new species of leech, discovered by an international team of scientists, has a preference for living up noses.
15 April 2010 19:09 UK
Drug shared by addicts seems to protect against HIV brain dementia
Public Release: 16-Apr-2010
Journal of Experimental Biology
First evidence that chitosan could repair spinal damage
Spinal injuries are some of the most debilitating that anyone can suffer. However, Richard Borgens and his team from the Center for Paralysis Research at the Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine can now offer spinal cord damage sufferers some hope. They publish their discovery in the Journal of Experimental Biology that chitosan, a sugar, can target and repair damaged spinal cord nerve membranes and restore nerve function.
General Funds of the Center for Paralysis Research, State of Indiana, Mrs. Mari Hulman George
Contact: Kathryn Knight
kathryn@biologists.com
44-078-763-44333
The Company of Biologists
Public Release: 16-Apr-2010
Journal of Surgical Research
Discovery could help diabetics and others with slow-to-heal wounds
A new discovery about the wound-healing process could lead to better treatments for diabetics and other patients who have wounds that are slow to heal.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Jim Ritter
jritter@lumc.edu
708-216-2445
Loyola University Health System
Public Release: 16-Apr-2010
Journal of Geophysical Research
Lunar polar craters may be electrified
As the solar wind flows over natural obstructions on the moon, it may charge polar lunar craters to hundreds of volts, according to new calculations by NASA's Lunar Science Institute team.
NASA
Contact: Bill Steigerwald
william.a.steigerwald@nasa.gov
301-286-5017
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Scientific American Mind
Is Estrogen the New Ritalin?
The sex hormone boosts thinking in some women, impairs it in others
posted 4/16/10
Public Release: 18-Apr-2010
Nature Materials
A brain-recording device that melts into place
Scientists have developed a brain implant that essentially melts into place, snugly fitting to the brain's surface. The technology could pave the way for better devices to monitor and control seizures, and to transmit signals from the brain past damaged parts of the spinal cord.
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Contact: Daniel Stimson
stimsond@ninds.nih.gov
301-496-5751
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Basic Science
Mat of microbes the size of Greece discovered on seafloor 
Gargantuan whales and hefty cephalopods are typically thought of as the classic marine mammoths, but they might have to make way for the mighty microbes, which constitute 50 to 90 percent of the oceans' total biomass, according to newly released data.
By Katherine Harmon
Apr 18, 2010 12:00 PM