Public Release: 19-Apr-2010
American Association for Cancer Research 101st Annual Meeting
Breast cancer risk tied to grandmother's diet
Eating too much fat in pregnancy may be an indulgence that has a less-than-beneficial effect on generations to come, say researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Their unique study in rats shows that pregnant females that ate a high fat diet not only increased breast cancer risk in their female daughters but also in that daughter's offspring -- the "granddaughters." Details of the study will be presented at the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010.
Contact: Karen Mallet
km463@georgetown.edu
215-514-9751
Georgetown University Medical Center
Public Release: 19-Apr-2010
Pediatrics
Study finds treatment-resistant ringworm prevalent among children in metro elementary schools
Approximately 7 percent of elementary school children across the bi-state, Kansas City metropolitan area are infected with the fungus Trichophyton tonsurans, the leading cause of ringworm in the US, according to a new study published today in Pediatrics. This is the largest study to date aimed at defining infection prevalence of the scalp fungus in children living in a metropolitan area and has implications for children nationwide.
Contact: Sherry Gibbs
SDGibbs@cmh.edu
816-346-1340
GolinHarris International
Public Release: 19-Apr-2010
Archives of Dermatology
Study suggests indoor tanning may be an addictive behavior
Individuals who have used indoor tanning facilities may meet criteria for addiction, and may also be more prone to anxiety symptoms and substance use, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Contact: Jeanne D'Agostino
dagostij@mskcc.org
646-227-3573
JAMA and Archives Journals
Public Release: 19-Apr-2010
Archives of Surgery
Taped consultations help patients understand heart surgery
Patients who receive an audiotape of their consultation before undergoing heart surgery appear to have more knowledge about their procedures and their health, and also have reduced anxiety and depression, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Contact: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Media Centre
press.office@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
44-141-201-4429
JAMA and Archives Journals
'Fatness' gene may thin your brain
17:16 19 April 2010
A gene variant that helps us put on pounds may also shrink brain regions involved in problem-solving and perception
Public Release: 19-Apr-2010
American Association for Cancer Research 101st Annual Meeting
Meat, especially if it's well done, may increase risk of bladder cancer
People who eat meat frequently, especially meat that is well done or cooked at high temperatures, may have a higher chance of developing bladder cancer, according to a large study at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 101st Annual Meeting 2010. This risk appears to increase in people with certain genetic variants.
Contact: Scott Merville
smerville@mdanderson.org
713-516-4855
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Quantum broadband becomes reality
10:52 20 April 2010
The first high-speed network link that is so secure it is theoretically unbreakable has been created, thanks to quantum physics
Public Release: 19-Apr-2010
World Journal of Gastroenterology
Aged female patients taking low-dose aspirin should be paid special attention
A research team from Japan demonstrated gender differences about the clinical features and risk factors of low-dose aspirin (LDA)-associated peptic ulcer. They suggest that special attention should be paid to aged female patients taking LDA.
Contact: Ye-Ru Wang
wjg@wjgnet.com
86-105-908-0039
World Journal of Gastroenterology
Public Release: 19-Apr-2010
World Journal of Gastroenterology
Cystic fibrosis and Crohn's disease treated successfully with infliximab
A research team from Italy reported a case of a 23-year-old patient suffering from cystic fibrosis (CF) and Crohn's disease who was successfully treated with infliximab. This case report was thought to be one of the first regarding the use of biological therapy in patients with CF.
Contact: Ye-Ru Wang
wjg@wjgnet.com
86-105-908-0039
World Journal of Gastroenterology
Public Release: 19-Apr-2010
American Naturalist
Beetles stand out using 'Avatar' tech
A new study suggests that jewel scarab beetles find each other -- and hide from their enemies -- using the same technology that creates the 3-D effects for the blockbuster movie, "Avatar."
Contact: Kevin Stacey
kstacey@press.uchicago.edu
773-834-0386
University of Chicago Press Journals
Public Release: 19-Apr-2010
PLoS ONE
Substance in breast milk kills cancer cells
A substance found in breast milk can kill cancer cells, reveal studies carried out by researchers at Lund University and the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Contact: Roger Karlsson
rogerk@chem.gu.se
46-317-869-059
University of Gothenburg
Public Release: 19-Apr-2010
New research finds bureaucracy linked to a nation's growth
"Bureaucracy is the death of all sound work," said Albert Einstein, sharing a popular view about bureaucracy grinding progress to a halt.
Contact: Bobbie Mixon
bmixon@nsf.gov
703-292-8485
National Science Foundation
American Association for Cancer Research 101st Annual Meeting
Vitamin K may protect against developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, say Mayo Clinic researchers
In the first study of vitamin K and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma risk, researchers at the Mayo Clinic campus in Minnesota have found that people who have higher intakes of vitamin K from their diet have a lower risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system and is the most common hematologic malignancy in the United States.
Contact: Karl Oestreich
newsbureau@mayo.edu
507-284-5005
Mayo Clinic
Public Release: 19-Apr-2010
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
The remarkable effects of fat loss on the immune system
Australian scientists have shown for the first time that even modest weight loss reverses many of the damaging changes often seen in the immune cells of obese people, particularly those with Type 2 diabetes.
Contact: Alison Heather
a.heather@garvan.org.au
61-292-958-128
Research Australia
Clever crows can use three tools
New Caledonian crows have been observed using three tools in succession in order to obtain a treat, scientists say.
Meet the brains of the animal world
Green Tea May Strengthen Your Teeth
Antimicrobial molecules within green tea may help preserve teeth (as long as you don't add sugar).
Public Release: 20-Apr-2010
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Scientists sever molecular signals that prolific parasite uses to puppeteer cells
Scientists studying a cunning parasite that has commandeered the cells of almost half the world's human population have begun to zero in on the molecular signals that must be severed to free the organism's cellular hostages.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Angela Hopp
ahopp@asbmb.org
301-634-7389
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Lice hang ancient date on first clothes-Genetic analysis puts origin at 190,000 years ago
Science News
Georgetown University Medical Center
An Alcoholic’s Savior: God, Belladonna or Both?
Public Release: 20-Apr-2010
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Study provides new insights into the implications of autism onset patterns
Kennedy Krieger Institute announced today new study results showing that when and how autism symptoms appear in the first three years of life has vital implications to a child's developmental, diagnostic, and educational outcomes.
Autism Speaks
Contact: Megan Lustig
mlustig@spectrumscience.com
202-955-6222 x2586
Kennedy Krieger Institute
Public Release: 20-Apr-2010
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied
Contraband could hide in plain sight, Duke research shows
As airport security employees scan luggage for a large variety of banned items, they may miss a deadly box cutter if they find a water bottle first. According to new research at Duke University, identifying an easy-to-spot prohibited item such as a water bottle may hinder the discovery of other, harder-to-spot items in the same scan.
Contact: Karl Leif Bates
karl.bates@duke.edu
919-681-8054
Duke University
Early humans may have bred with other species – twice
12:50 21 April 2010
New genetic evidence suggests that early humans mated with other species, but was it the Neanderthals or someone else entirely, asks Ewen Callaway
People with vitiligo 'may have skin cancer protection'
People with the skin disease vitiligo may have natural protection against skin cancer, a study suggests.
21 April 2010 00:21 UK
Bacterial mat the size of Greece found on Pacific floor
THIS WEEK:  15:59 21 April 2010
The Census of Marine Life is forcing a radical reassessment of how many species there are on Earth
Self-starter: Life got going all on its own
THIS WEEK:  18:00 21 April 2010
Given the right chemical ingredients, self-replication and the genetic code were all but inevitable
Public Release: 21-Apr-2010
Crystal Growth & Design
'Ancestral Eve' crystal may explain origin of life's left-handedness
Scientists are reporting discovery of what may be the "ancestral Eve" crystal that billions of years ago gave life on Earth its curious and exclusive preference for so-called left-handed amino acids. Those building blocks of proteins come in two forms -- left- and right-handed -- that mirror each other like a pair of hands.
Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society
Public Release: 21-Apr-2010
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Fish oil supplements provide no benefit to brain power
The largest ever trial of fish oil supplements has found no evidence that they offer benefits for cognitive function in older people. The OPAL study investigated the effects of taking omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplements over a two year period on the cognitive function of participants aged 70-80 years.
UK Food Standards Agency
Contact: Gemma Howe
gemma.howe@lshtm.ac.uk
44-207-927-2802
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Miscarriage blamed on non-fussy uterus
THIS WEEK:  22:00 21 April 2010
Women with less picky uteruses may conceive more quickly but be more likely to miscarry – a finding that could lead to new drugs for the complication
Public Release: 21-Apr-2010
Nature
A gassy mystery: Researchers discover surprising exoplanetary atmosphere
The surprising findings are the latest advance in the quest to measure Earth-like planets that could possibly host signs of life. Neptune-sized planets as hot as 800 Kelvin -- about 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit -- should contain high levels of methane and very little carbon monoxide, according to standard chemistry. Instead, the researchers found 7,000 times less methane than expected and plenty of carbon monoxide, which suggests that scientists should be more flexible in their theories about the atmospheres of similar planets.
Contact: Christine Dellert
cdellert@mail.ucf.edu
407-823-2947
University of Central Florida
Public Release: 22-Apr-2010
To learn better, take a nap (and don't forget to dream)
Researchers reporting online on April 22 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, offer more evidence that successful study habits should include plenty of napping. They found that people who take a nap and dream about a task they've just learned perform it better upon waking than either those who don't sleep at all or those who sleep but don't report any associated dreams.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press
Public Release: 22-Apr-2010
PLoS Pathogens
New strain of virulent airborne fungi, unique to Oregon, is set to spread
A newly discovered strain of an airborne fungus has caused several deaths in Oregon and seems poised to move into California and other adjacent areas, according to scientists at Duke University Medical Center.
NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Contact: Mary Jane Gore
mary.gore@duke.edu
919-660-1309
Duke University Medical Center
Pfizer paid censured experts to educate doctors
16:18 22 April 2010
The drug company paid experts disciplined for deficiencies in patient care to lecture other doctors on prescribing, finds an analysis by New Scientist
Whale poop is vital to ocean's carbon cycle
16:37 22 April 2010
Protecting endangered baleen whales in the Southern Ocean could help restore its carbon storage capacity
Coma Victim's Language Ability Explained
How could a Croatian girl speak German but forget her native language after coming out of a coma?
Public Release: 22-Apr-2010
Trials
Useful stroke trials left unpublished
An investigation into unpublished stroke research data has revealed that 19.6 percent of completed clinical trials, which could potentially influence patient care, are not published in full. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open-access journal Trials describe how these unpublished studies included more than 16,000 participants and tested 89 different interventions.
Contact: Graeme Baldwin
graeme.baldwin@biomedcentral.com
44-203-192-2165
BioMed Central
Public Release: 22-Apr-2010
PLoS Genetics
Singapore scientists develop zebrafish model for studying Parkinson's disease
Scientists at the Genome Institute of Singapore, a biomedical research institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, have recently developed a zebrafish model for Parkinson's disease that can be used for understanding the mechanism underlying its development. The knowledge gained will be helpful for future screening of new drugs to treat Parkinson's disease.
Agency for Science, Technology and Research
Contact: Prudence Yeo
yeojp@gis.a-star.edu.sg
656-808-8010
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
Public Release: 22-Apr-2010
Lab on a Chip
UCLA engineer invents world's smallest, lightest telemedicine microscope
Aydogan Ozcan, an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at UCLA has applied lensless imaging technology he developed to create the World's smallest microscope. The microscope generates holographic, or 3-D, images of microparticles or cells by employing a light-emitting-diode to illuminate the objects and a digital sensor array to capture their images. Weighing in at only 46 grams, the self-contained imaging device is intended to be used in telemedicine networks in resource limited settings.
Contact: Jennifer Marcus
jmarcus@cnsi.ucla.edu
310-267-4839
University of California - Los Angeles
Public Release: 22-Apr-2010
PLoS ONE
Study of Williams syndrome patients reveals specific gene's role in intelligence
A multi-institution team led by a University of Utah USTAR researcher has found that the brain gene STX1A plays a significant role in the level of intelligence displayed by patients with Williams syndrome.
Contact: Jason Youngstrom
jason.youngstrom@utah.edu
801-587-1201
University of Utah Health Sciences
Parkinson's protection without caffeine or nicotine
16:06 23 April 2010
Coffee and cigarettes seem to protect against Parkinson's – but experiments with fruit flies show that their best-known ingredients aren't responsible
Decaying beauty spied for first time by LHC
16:50 23 April 2010
A fleeting "beauty" particle has been spotted in the Large Hadron Collider's experiment to investigate the case of the universe's missing antimatter
Ancient orchards restored to save fruit and wildlife
Dozens of orchards have been created and cultivated in a bid to protect traditional fruit trees and the habitat they offer to wildlife.
23 April 2010 00:54 UK
Briefing: The man who's got a whole new face
18:16 23 April 2010
A farmer in Spain who blew his face off has become the recipient of the world's first full face transplant
The Rise of the Mind
Ochre found in at the tip of Pinnacle Point in South Africa has offered up key evidence that early humans were engaging in symbolic behavior long before anthropologists previously surmised
PhysOrg
Public Release: 25-Apr-2010
Experimental Biology 2010
Follicle-stimulating hormone may affect bone loss in menopausal women
New research suggests that hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone may be involved in decreasing bone mineral density during menopause.
Contact: Donna Krupa
media@faseb.org
714-765-2012
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Public Release: 25-Apr-2010
Experimental Biology 2010
Targeting a waterborne foe
The microscopic pathogen cryptosporidium lurks worldwide in water, contaminating swimming pools, water parks, and drinking water supplies. A top researcher has made a critical breakthrough in eroding cryptosporidium's defenses.
Contact: Nicole Kresge
nkresge@asbmb.org
202-316-5447
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Public Release: 25-Apr-2010
Experimental Biology 2010
Putting bacterial antibiotic resistance into reverse
The use of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections causes a continual and vicious cycle that leads to the emergence and spread of resistant strains. What if it didn't have to be this way? One researcher explains how it could work.
Contact: Nicole Kresge
nkresge@asbmb.org
202-316-5447
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Public Release: 25-Apr-2010
Nature Physics
Brain-like computing on an organic molecular layer
One big advantage a brain's circuitry has always had over a computer's is its ability to evolve as it tackles complex problems. Now, an international research team from Japan and Michigan Technological University has created a tiny computing device with a brain-like "evolutionary circuit."
National Science Foundation
Contact: Marcia Goodrich
mlgoodri@mtu.edu
906-487-2343
Michigan Technological University
Public Release: 25-Apr-2010
Nature Geoscience
Research in Antarctica reveals non-organic mechanism for production of important greenhouse gas
A research team has discovered in Antarctica's Don Juan Pond a previously unreported chemical mechanism for the production of nitrous oxide, an important greenhouse gas. The discovery could help space scientists understand the meaning of similar brine pools in a place whose ecosystem most closely resembles that of Don Juan Pond: Mars.
National Science Foundation
Contact: Sam Fahmy
sfahmy@uga.edu
706-542-5361
University of Georgia