Public Release: 26-Apr-2010
Archives of Internal Medicine
People with depression eat more chocolate, a mood food
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine have found that women and men eat more chocolate as depressive symptoms increase, suggesting an association between mood and chocolate.
NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, UCSD General Clinical Research Center
Contact: Kim Edwards
kedwards@ucsd.edu
619-543-6163
University of California - San Diego
Public Release: 26-Apr-2010
Experimental Biology 2010
The billions that bug us: A genomic view of humans and their microbes
A lead researcher with the Human Microbiome Project, an international NIH roadmap initiative to study the impact of microbes on human health and disease, will talk about her research to optimize the beneficial effects of microbiota for each individual.
Contact: Nicole Kresge
nkresge@asbmb.org
202-316-5447
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Public Release: 26-Apr-2010
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
What's motivation got to do with weight loss?
Energy in, energy out, it's the basic equation to weight loss, or is it? With more than two thirds of Americans classified as overweight or obese, a study in the May/June 2010 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior examines how motivation might be a large contributor to sticking with weight loss programs.
Contact: Lynelle Korte
jnebmedia@elsevier.com
314-447-9227
Elsevier Health Sciences
Why acupuncture aids spinal recovery
11:18 26 April 2010
Rats with damaged spines can walk again thanks to acupuncture, which seems to halt nerve death
Public Release: 26-Apr-2010
Circulation
Stem cells from surgery leftovers could repair damaged hearts
Scientists from the Bristol Heart Institute (BHI) at the University of Bristol have for the first time succeeded in extracting vital stem cells from sections of vein removed for heart bypass surgery.
British Heart Foundation
Contact: Joanne Fryer
joanne.fryer@bristol.ac.uk
44-011-733-17276
University of Bristol
Public Release: 26-Apr-2010
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
Human brain recognizes and reacts to race
The human brain fires differently when dealing with people outside of one's own race, according to new research out of the University of Toronto Scarborough.
Contact: April Kemick
april.kemick@utoronto.ca
416-978-0100
University of Toronto
Chimps 'feel death like humans'
Chimpanzees deal with death in much the same way as humans, according to two studies by British researchers.
Surprising science
Why many of the biggest discoveries were accidental
Public Release: 26-Apr-2010
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Where comets emit dust
Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research identify the active regions on the surface of comets.
Contact: Dr. Birgit Krummheuer
Krummheuer@mps.mpg.de
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
  Martian tubes could be home for 'cavenauts'
THIS WEEK:  17:39 26 April 2010
Lava tubes on Mars may contain water ice, simulations show, providing protection from radiation and a water source for astronauts
  Gene silencing prevents its first human disease
20:01 26 April 2010
The discovery that RNA snippets can silence genes garnered a Nobel prize four years ago, but only now has RNAi proven effective in people
Public Release: 26-Apr-2010
Do the blind have a more acute sense of smell?
An ongoing study by Mathilde Beaulieu-Lefebvre, a graduate student from the Universite de Montreal Department of Psychology, has debunked the myth that the blind have a more acute sense of smell than the sighted. Vision loss simply makes blind people pay more attention to how they perceive smells.
Contact: Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins
sylvain-jacques.desjardins@umontreal.ca
514-343-7593
University of Montreal
  Elephant-speak for 'Beware of the bees'
22:00 26 April 2010
Recordings of elephants trumpeting as they flee from bees make other elephants bolt – suggesting they can warn of specific threats
  Public Release: 26-Apr-2010
Ancient artifacts revealed as northern ice patches melt
An interdisciplinary team of Canadian scientists is discovering a treasure trove of ancient hunting tools high in the Mackenzie Mountains of the Northwest Territories. The artifacts are being revealed as warming temperatures melt ice patches that have been used for thousands of years by caribou seeking relief from summer heat and insects. Among the artifacts recovered are a 2400 year old spear-throwing tool and a 1000-year-old ground squirrel snare.
Government of Canada program for International Polar Year, Tulita Dene Band, Government of the Northwest Territories
Contact: Ruth Klinkhammer
r.klinkhammer@ucalgary.ca
403-220-7294
Arctic Institute of North America
New culprit emerges in epilepsy
Really?
The Claim: Lack of Sleep Increases Weight
By ANAHAD O'CONNOR
Looking to lose a little weight? Portion size and exercise are crucial. But don’t forget about a good night’s rest.
Massive Southern Ocean current discovered
Personal Best
To Beat the Heat, Drink a Slushie First
By GINA KOLATA
New research suggests that a syrup-flavored ice slurry before a workout in hot conditions can improve endurance.
Well
Little-Known Disorder Can Hurt Learning
By TARA PARKER-POPE
A talk-show host brings attention to auditory processing disorders in children, which are often misdiagnosed as attention problems or even autism.
* Video 'Learning How to Learn'
Public Release: 26-Apr-2010
FASEB Journal
Phosphorous in sodas and processed foods accelerates signs of aging say Harvard scientists
New research published online in the FASEB Journal shows that high levels of phosphates may add more "pop" to sodas and processed foods than once thought. That's because researchers found that the high levels of phosphates accelerate signs of aging. High phosphate levels may also increase the prevalence and severity of age-related complications, such as chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular calcification, and can also induce severe muscle and skin atrophy.
Contact: Cody Mooneyhan
cmooneyhan@faseb.org
301-634-7104
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Q & A
Fish Versus Flax
By C. CLAIBORNE RAY
How does flaxseed oil compare with fish oil in nutritional benefits?
Public Release: 26-Apr-2010
Experimental Biology 2010
Drug may treat cystic fibrosis, other diseases caused by 'nonsense mutations,' UAB researcher says
A renowned researcher on a select group of genetic alterations called nonsense mutations says scientists are now closer to producing drugs that will fix this disruption. UAB's David Bedwell, Ph.D., says, "When you treat a genetic disease, the bottom line is how much of the missing protein do you need to restore to have a therapeutic benefit?" He presented data on an experimental drug that holds promise.
PTC Therapeutics Inc., National Institutes of Health
Contact: Troy Goodman
tdgoodman@uab.edu
205-934-8938
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Asphalt volcanoes discovered off California
12:32 27 April 2010
Undersea mounds could have spewed enough methane to cause prehistoric dead zones
Public Release: 26-Apr-2010
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Reward-driven people win more, even when no reward at stake
Whether it's for money, marbles or chalk, the brains of reward-driven people keep their game faces on, helping them win at every step of the way, even when there is no reward at stake, suggests a surprising Washington University in St. Louis brain scan study published online today by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Contact: Gerry Everding
gerry_everding@wustl.edu
314-935-6375
Washington University in St. Louis
The Search for Genes Leads to Unexpected Places
By CARL ZIMMER
Edward M. Marcotte and colleagues have found hundreds of genes involved in human disorders.
Be a good dog and you'll live a long, healthy life
IN BRIEF:  12:43 27 April 2010
Live fast, die young: the adage applies to dog breeds too, suggesting that personality and longevity co-evolved
Public Release: 26-Apr-2010
Experimental Biology 2010
New study: The kitchen-counter diet
Eating less -- up to 29 percent less -- can be as simple as leaving serving dishes on the stove and off the table, according to a team of researchers from Cornell University. They shared their findings at this week's Experimental Biology conference in Anaheim, Calif.
Contact: Tom Rushmer
foodandbrandlab@cornell.edu
Cornell Food & Brand Lab
Scientists identify freezing times for Cretaceous dinosaurs
Observatory
Insect May Make Moves to Survive the Harvest
By HENRY FOUNTAIN
Researchers discovered that the corn borer travels down the corn stalk to reach a safe height before the stalks are cut off by humans.
Germanium 'Tissue Paper' Could Stop Bullets
Who wouldn't want a shirt that could stop a bullet and power your iPod? A new fabric can do just that.
Public Release: 27-Apr-2010
Cortex
An underlying cause for psychopathic behavior?
Psychopaths are known to be characterized by callousness, diminished capacity for remorse, and lack of empathy. However, the exact cause of these personality traits is an area of scientific debate. The results of a new study, reported in the May 2010 issue of Elsevier's Cortex show striking similarities between the mental impairments observed in psychopaths and those seen in patients with frontal lobe damage.
Contact: Valeria Brancolini
v.brancolini@elsevier.com
39-028-818-4260
Elsevier
The Kiss of Death: Research targets lethal disease spread by insect that bites lips
Public Release: 27-Apr-2010
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Earth microbes may contaminate the search for life on Mars
Bacteria common to spacecraft may be able to survive the harsh environs of Mars long enough to inadvertently contaminate Mars with terrestrial life according to research published in the April 2010 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Contact: Garth Hogan
ghogan@asmusa.org
American Society for Microbiology Public Release: 27-Apr-2010
Annals of Neurology
Alzheimer's memory problems originate with protein clumps floating in the brain, not amyloid plaques
Using a new mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that Alzheimer's pathology originates in Amyloid-Beta (Abeta) oligomers in the brain, rather than the amyloid plaques previously thought by many researchers to cause the disease.
Contact: Mount Sinai Press Office
newsnow@mountsinai.org
212-241-9200
The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Mount Sinai researchers discover potential treatment for bone death in the hip from osteonecrosis
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found a potential new treatment for osteonecrosis, or the death of bone tissue, in people who are treated with steroids for several common medical conditions. There are currently no treatment options for people with this debilitating disease. The research is published in the April 27 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Contact: Mount Sinai Press Office
newsnow@mountsinai.org
212-241-9200
The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine Public Release: 28-Apr-2010
Experimental Biology 2010
'Epigenetic' concepts offer new approach to degenerative disease
In studies on cancer, heart disease, neurological disorders and other degenerative conditions, some scientists are moving away from the "nature vs. nurture" debate, and are finding you're not a creature of either genetics or environment, but both -- with enormous implications for a new approach to health.
Contact: Nicole Kresge
nkresge@asbmb.org
202-316-5447
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Public Release: 28-Apr-2010
Testosterone directly amplifies but does not program male behaviors
New research uncovers some surprising information about how sex hormones control masculinization of the brain during development and drive gender related behaviors in adult males. The study, published by Cell Press in the April 29 issue of the journal Neuron, demonstrates that direct action of testosterone, the prototypical male hormone, is unnecessary for masculinizing the brain and behavior.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press
Public Release: 28-Apr-2010
Nature
MS study suggests key role of environmental factor in the disease
Scientists are reporting what they say is compelling evidence that some powerful non-heritable, environmental factor likely plays a key role in the development of multiple sclerosis.
Small Ventures USA Inc., A. J. Brass Foundation, Nancy Davis Foundation, National Institutes of Health, National MS Society
Contact: Jennifer O'Brien
jobrien@pubaff.ucsf.edu
415-476-2557
University of California - San Francisco
Public Release: 28-Apr-2010
Geophysical Research Letters
Melting icebergs causing sea level rise
Scientists have discovered that changes in the amount of ice floating in the polar oceans are causing sea levels to rise.
UK National Centre for Earth Observation, Philip Leverhulme Trust
Contact: Hannah Isom
h.isom@leeds.ac.uk
44-011-334-34031
University of Leeds
Public Release: 28-Apr-2010
Journal of Ovarian Research
Curcumin nanoparticles 'open up' resistant cancers
Pre-treatment with curcumin, a component of the spice turmeric, makes ovarian cancer cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access Journal of Ovarian Research found that delivering the curcumin via very small (less than 100nm) nanoparticles enhanced the sensitizing effect.
Contact: Graeme Baldwin
graeme.baldwin@biomedcentral.com
44-020-319-22165
BioMed Central
There's no doubt about the health dangers of salt
COMMENT AND ANALYSIS:  18:00 28 April 2010
Excess dietary salt is a killer and you should take any evidence to the contrary with a large pinch of the stuff, say Franco Cappuccio and Simon Capewell
Public Release: 28-Apr-2010
Nature
Scientists finds evidence of water ice on asteroid's surface
Josh Emery, research assistant professor with the earth and planetary sciences department at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has found evidence of water ice and organic material on the asteroid 24 Themis. This evidence supports the idea that asteroids could be responsible for bringing water and organic material to Earth.
NASA Planetary Astronomy Program
Contact: Whitney Holmes
wholmes7@utk.edu
865-974-5460
University of Tennessee at Knoxville Public Release: 28-Apr-2010
Cortex
Lottery game helps to assess brain damage following stroke
Patients recovering from stroke sometimes behave as if completely unaware of one half of the world: colliding with obstacles on their left, eating food only from the right side of their plate, or failing to dress their left side. This puzzling phenomenon is termed "spatial neglect" and it affects roughly 45 percent of patients suffering from a stroke in the right side of the brain.
Contact: Valeria Brancolini
v.brancolini@elsevier.com
39-028-818-4260
Elsevier Public Release: 28-Apr-2010
Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors
Scientists probe Earth's core
By observing distant earthquakes, researchers at the University of Calgary have revealed new clues about the top of the Earth's core in a paper published in the May edition of the journal Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors.
Contact: Grady Semmens
gsemmens@ucalgary.ca
403-220-7722
University of Calgary Public Release: 28-Apr-2010
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research
Military develops multi-purpose 'green' decontaminants for terrorist attack sites
Chemists with the United States military have developed a set of ultra-strength cleaners that could be used in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. The new formulas are tough enough to get rid of nerve gas, mustard gas, radioactive isotopes, and anthrax. But they are also non-toxic, based on ingredients found in foods, cosmetics, and other consumer products. A detailed evaluation of the cleansers appears in ACS' Industrial Engineering and Chemistry Research, a bi-monthly journal.
Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society Public Release: 28-Apr-2010
Quaternary Research
Research shows part of Alaska inundated by ancient megafloods
New research indicates that one of the largest fresh-water floods in Earth's history happened about 17,000 years ago and inundated a large area of Alaska that is now occupied in part by the city of Wasilla.
University of Washington Quaternary Research Center, University of Washington School of Forest Resources, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Contact: Vince Stricherz
vinces@uw.edu
206-543-2580
University of Washington
Public Release: 28-Apr-2010
NIH State-of-the-Science Conference: Preventing Alzheimer's Disease and Cognitive Decline
Annals of Internal Medicine
Panel finds insufficient evidence for Alzheimer's disease preventive measures
Many preventive measures for cognitive decline and for preventing Alzheimer's disease -- mental stimulation, exercise, and a variety of dietary supplements -- have been studied over the years. However, an independent panel convened this week by the National Institutes of Health determined that the value of these strategies for delaying the onset and/or reducing the severity of decline or disease hasn't been demonstrated in rigorous studies.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Lisa Ahramjian
AhramjianL@od.nih.gov
301-496-4999
NIH/National Institutes of Health, Office of Disease Prevention
  Public Release: 28-Apr-2010
Experimental Biology 2010
Can 'organic' labels backfire?
In findings presented at this week's Experimental Biology conference in Anaheim, Calif., Cornell University researchers show that "organic" labels on snack foods can lead people to underestimate the number of calories in their snacks by up to 40%.
Contact: Tom Rushmer
foodandbrandlab@cornell.edu
Cornell Food & Brand Lab
Common Mars rock can preserve microfossils after all
00:17 29 April 2010
Sulphate minerals – which are widespread on Mars – do not erase evidence of fossilised microbes as previously thought, a study of Earth rocks suggests
Virgin birth: sharks' secret survival trick
THIS WEEK:  13:38 29 April 2010
Female sharks can produce healthy young without a male – asexual reproduction may have helped this ancient group of creatures survive for so long
Giant NASA Balloon Crashes, Destroys Telescope

The multimillion-dollar Nuclear Compton Telescope was ripped from its fairing and dragged into a parked SUV.

Public Release: 29-Apr-2010
Science
First case of animals making their own carotene
The insects known as aphids can make their own essential nutrients called carotenoids, according to University of Arizona researchers. No other animals are known to make the potent antioxidants, which are crucial for life. Until now scientists thought the only way animals could obtain the orangey-red compounds was from their diet. Carotenoids are building blocks for molecules crucial for vision, healthy skin, bone growth and other key physiological functions.
National Science Foundation
Contact: Mari N. Jensen
mnjensen@email.arizona.edu
520-626-9635
University of Arizona
Energy drinks work as soon as they touch your tongue
IN BRIEF:  16:34 29 April 2010
This pre-digestive effect is immediate and seems due to a newly discovered neural pathway linking the tongue's taste receptors to muscles
Public Release: 29-Apr-2010
Our genes can be set on pause
New evidence in embryonic stem cells shows that mammalian genes may all have a layer of control that acts essentially like the pause button on your DVR. The researchers say the results show that the pausing phenomenon, previously thought to be a peculiarity of particular genes, is actually a much more general feature of the genome. The findings are reported in the April 30 issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press
Public Release: 29-Apr-2010
Arthritis & Rheumatism
Antibiotic regimen effective for reactive arthritis
Researchers from University of South Florida College of Medicine found a combination of antibiotics to be an effective treatment for chlamydia-induced reactive arthritis, a major step forward in the management, and possibly cure, of this disease. Results of this study are published in the May issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
Contact: Dawn Peters
medicalnews@wiley.com
781-388-8408
Wiley-Blackwell
Public Release: 29-Apr-2010
Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies
Animals' right to privacy denied by documentary-makers
Animals' right to privacy is being denied by makers of television wildlife documentaries according to new research.
Contact: Cat Bartman
c.bartman@uea.ac.uk
44-016-045-93007
University of East Anglia
Public Release: 29-Apr-2010
Medical Hypothesis
Nude-colored hospital gowns could help doctors better detect hard-to-see symptoms
Changing the hue of hospital gowns and bed sheets to match a patient's skin color could greatly enhance a physician's ability to detect cyanosis and other health-related skin color changes, according to a new study from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Contact: Michael Mullaney
mullam@rpi.edu
518-276-6161
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Moon fountains could answer astronauts' watery wishes
20:46 29 April 2010
Dust plumes kicked up by electrical forces inside craters at the lunar poles could help future prospectors spot water and other resources from deep below

Public Release: 29-Apr-2010
Purple Pokeberries hold secret to affordable solar power worldwide
Pokeberries -- the weeds that children smash to stain their cheeks purple-red and that Civil War soldiers used to write letters home -- could be the key to spreading solar power across the globe, according to researchers at Wake Forest University's Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials.

Contact: Ellen Sedeno
sternersedeno@sbcglobal.net
Wake Forest University

Public Release: 29-Apr-2010
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Sign language study shows multiple brain regions wired for language
A new study from the University of Rochester finds that there is no single advanced area of the human brain that gives it language capabilities above and beyond those of any other animal species. Instead, humans rely on several regions of the brain, each designed to accomplish different primitive tasks, in order to make sense of a sentence.

Contact: Alan Blank
alan.blank@rochester.edu
585-314-9785
University of Rochester

Public Release: 30-Apr-2010
Triologocial Society’s 113th Annual Meeting
Study: Roller coasters linked to common ear injury
The high speeds of today's roller coasters bring a lot of thrills, but if you're not careful, the ride could also cause damage to your ears, say physicians at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Their case study offers the first reported link between the force of acceleration in roller coasters and a common ear injury that can cause temporary hearing loss and ear pain.

Contact: Krista Hopson
khopson1@hfhs.org
313-874-7207
Henry Ford Health System
Rare Mutation That Causes Mirror Movements Reflects Nervous System's Complexity