Public Release: 23-Apr-2007
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Spousal
choices can influence the risk of developing alcoholism
Alcohol dependence (AD) is more common among partners of alcoholics
than among partners of nonalcoholics. A new examination of spousal
similarity for alcohol consumption and AD risk reveals that while one
type of association, assortative mating, results in an increased
frequency of AD in partners, another type, spousal interaction, may
diminish AD risk for spouses.
NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Contact: Julia D. Grant
grantj@msnotes.wustl.edu
314-286-2255
Alcoholism:
Clinical & Experimental Research
Public Release: 23-Apr-2007
Cancer
Study
calls virtual colonoscopy most cost-effective colon cancer screening
test
A new study says
targeting smaller lesions does little to significantly
reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer and, in fact, results in
extremely high financial costs and a large proportion of adverse events.
Contact: Amy Molnar
amolnar@wiley.com
John Wiley
& Sons, Inc.
Public Release: 23-Apr-2007
Journal of Gerontology -- Medical Sciences
Low
vitamin D levels linked to poor physical performance in older adults
Older adults who don't
get enough vitamin D -- either from their diets
or exposure to the sun -- may be at increased risk for poor physical
performance and disability, according to new research from Wake Forest
University School of Medicine and colleagues.
NIH/National Institute on Aging
Contact: Karen Richardson
krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu
336-716-4453
Wake Forest University
Baptist Medical Center
Public Release: 23-Apr-2007
Chemistry & Industry
Lean
for life
Infant formula and other baby foods that provide permanent protection
from obesity and diabetes into adulthood could be on shop shelves soon,
reports Lisa Melton in Chemistry & Industry, the magazine of
the
SCI. The foods, under development at the Clore Laboratory at the
University of Buckingham, will be supplemented with leptin, the hunger
hormone. Those who take the foods early in life should remain
permanently slim.
Contact: Lisa Richards
press@soci.org
44-020-759-81524
Society of Chemical Industry
Public Release: 23-Apr-2007
Geology
Earth's
first rainforest unearthed
A spectacular fossilized
forest has transformed our understanding of
the ecology of the Earth's first rainforests. Nowhere elsewhere on the
planet is it possible to (literally) walk through such an extensive
swathe of Carboniferous rainforest.
Contact: Cherry Lewis
cherry.lewis@bristol.ac.uk
44-011-792-88086
University of Bristol
Public Release: 23-Apr-2007
PLoS Medicine
Drug
company sales visits influenced doctors, study finds
Almost half of sales visits by pharmaceutical company representatives
advocating the use of the drug gabapentin led to doctors stating that
they intended to increase their prescription of the drug or recommend
it to colleagues, according to an analysis of a survey completed by the
doctors shortly after the visits.
US Veterans Health Administration, NIH/National Institute on Arthritis
and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, NIH/National Institute on Aging,
John A. Hartford Foundation, California Tobacco-Related Disease
Research Programs
Contact: Steve Tokar
steve.tokar@ncire.org
415-221-4810 x5202
University of California -
San Francisco
Public Release: 23-Apr-2007
Archives of Internal Medicine
Depression
may trigger diabetes in older adults
Chronic depression may cause diabetes in older adults, according to
Northwestern University research. This is the first national study to
suggest that depression alone -- and not lifestyle factors like being
overweight -- can trigger diabetes in adults 65 and older, a population
with a high prevalence of diabetes and depression. A high level of the
stress hormone cortisol -- common in people who are depressed and which
can decrease insulin sensitivity -- may be triggering the disease.
NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH/National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Amgen Inc.
Contact: Marla Paul
marla-paul@northwestern.edu
312-503-8928
Northwestern
University
Public Release: 23-Apr-2007
Geology
Prehistoric
mystery organism verified as giant fungus
Scientists at the University of Chicago and the National
Museum of
Natural History in Washington, D.C., have produced new evidence to
finally resolve the mysterious identity of what they regard as one of
the weirdest organisms that ever lived.
NASA, Astrobiology Institute, American Chemical Society's Petroleum Fund
Contact: Steve Koppes
skoppes@uchicago.edu
773-702-8366
University of
Chicago
Public Release: 23-Apr-2007
Physical Review Letters
Bucky's
brother -- The boron buckyball makes its debut
A new study
from Rice University predicts the existence and stability
of another "buckyball" consisting entirely of boron atoms. The
research, which has been published online and is due to appear as an
editor's selection in Physical Review Letters, finds a stable structure
for a molecular sphere of 80 boron atoms. The original buckyball, a
cage-shaped molecule of 60 carbon atoms, was discovered at Rice in 1985.
Welch Foundation, US Office of Naval Research, US Department of Defense
Contact: Jade Boyd
jadeboyd@rice.edu
713-348-6778
Rice University
Public Release: 23-Apr-2007
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Antioxidant
found in many foods and red wine is potent and selective killer of
leukemia cells
A naturally occurring
compound found in many fruits and vegetables as
well as red wine, selectively kills leukemia cells in culture while
showing no discernible toxicity against healthy cells, according to a
study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of
Medicine. These findings, which were published online March 20 in the
Journal of Biological Chemistry and will be in press May 4, offer hope
for a more selective, less toxic therapy for leukemia.
Contact: Jim Swyers
SwyersJP@upmc.edu
412-647-3555
University
of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences
Public Release: 23-Apr-2007
Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting
Surge
in senior HIV survivors prompts new treatment studies
Many patients diagnosed
with HIV in the 1980s and 1990s have survived
and now are entering their golden years. AIDS cases among the over-50
crowd reached 90,000 in 2003, and according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, will account for half of all HIV/AIDS cases in
the United States by 2015.
NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, NIH/National Institute of
Nursing Research
Contact: Andrea Gibson
gibsona@ohio.edu
740-597-2166
Ohio University
Public Release: 23-Apr-2007
Cancer
UCLA
study finds prostate cancer treatments impact on quality of life
A rigorous, long-term
study of quality of life in patients who
underwent one of the three most common treatments for prostate cancer
found that each affected men's lives in different ways. The findings
provide invaluable information for men with prostate cancer who are
facing vital treatment decisions.
Contact: Kim Irwin
kirwin@mednet.ucla.edu
310-206-2805
University of
California - Los Angeles
Public Release: 23-Apr-2007
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Deactivating
protein may protect nerve fibers in MS
Oregon Health &
Science University neuroscientists are eyeing a
protein as a potential therapeutic target for multiple sclerosis
because de-activating it protects nerve fibers from damage. OHSU
researchers have shown that genetically inactivating a protein called
cyclophilin D can protect nerve fibers in a mouse model of multiple
sclerosis. Cyclophin D is a key regulator of molecular processes in the
nerve cell's powerhouse, the mitochondrion, and can participate in
nerve fiber death.
Laura Fund for Innovation in Multiple Sclerosis Research, National
Institutes of Health, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Nancy Davis
Center Without Walls
Contact: Jonathan Modie
modiej@ohsu.edu
503-494-8231
Oregon Health &
Science University
In the Right Office, Trust and
Candor
By
JAN HOFFMAN
Published: April 24, 2007
Cues that a
family medicine or
pediatric practice is welcoming to adolescents can be discerned well
before the first visit. Some practices set aside office hours for
teenagers. Some have a different waiting area, with bigger chairs,
age-appropriate reading material - and no toddler toys.
Vital Signs
Remedies: Dark Chocolate Similar
to Blood Pressure Drugs
By
NICHOLAS BAKALAR
Published:
April 24, 2007
Eating dark
chocolate may be
almost as effective at lowering blood pressure as taking the most
common antihypertensive drugs, a review of studies has found. Tea, on
the other hand, appears to be ineffective
First Mission to Explore Those
Wisps in the Night Sky
By
KENNETH CHANG
Two hundred seventy
thousand feet
above the ground, higher than 99.9 percent of the earth's air, clouds
still float around - thin, iridescent wisps of electric blue.
NASA is launching a small satellite to take a closer look at these
clouds at the edge of outer space and to try to understand why, in
recent years, they are appearing more often over more parts of the
world. They are also becoming brighter.
If You Want to Know if Spot Loves
You So, It’s in His Tail
By
SANDRA BLAKESLEE
Published: April 24, 2007
Every dog lover knows how
a pooch expresses its feelings.
Ears close to the head,
tense posture, and tail straight out from the body means
“don’t mess with me.” Ears perked up,
wriggly body and vigorously wagging tail means “I am sooo
happy to see you!” But there is another, newly
discovered, feature of dog body language that may surprise attentive
pet owners and experts in canine behavior. When dogs feel fundamentally
positive about something or someone, their tails wag more to the right
side of their rumps. When they have negative feelings, their tail
wagging is biased to the left.
Public Release: 24-Apr-2007
Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences
Study shows food preparation may play a
bigger role in chronic disease than was previously thought
How your food is cooked may be as important to your health as the food
itself. Researchers now know more about a new class of toxins that
might soon become as important a risk factor for heart disease and
metabolic disorders as trans fats.
Contact: Mount Sinai Press Office
newsmedia@mssm.edu
212-241-9200
The Mount Sinai
Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Public Release: 24-Apr-2007
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Astronomers find first habitable
Earth-like planet
Astronomers have discovered the most Earth-like planet outside our
Solar System to date, an exoplanet with a radius only 50 percent larger
than the Earth and capable of having liquid water.
Contact: Henri Boffin
hboffin@eso.org
49-893-200-6222
European Southern
Observatory (ESO)
Swiss Scientist: Search for Life
Next
GENEVA (AP)
Swiss
scientist Michel Mayor,
who heads the European team that announced the discovery of a new
potentially habitable planet, has his sights set on an even bigger
target, detecting signs of extraterrestrial life.
Public Release: 24-Apr-2007
Journal of Bacteriology
Key found to kill cystic fibrosis
superbug
Researchers from the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at
the
University of Western Ontario, working with a group from Edinburgh,
have discovered a way to kill the cystic fibrosis superbug,
Burkholderia cenocepacia. These investigators, under the leadership of
Dr. Miguel Valvano, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, have had
their research published in the May issue of the Journal of
Bacteriology, and highlighted in Nature Reviews/Microbiology.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation
Contact: Kathy Wallis
Kathy.wallis@schulich.uwo.ca
519-661-2111 x81136
Canadian
Institutes of Health Research
Public Release: 24-Apr-2007
Physiological and Biochemical Zoology
Study shows hibernating bears conserve
more muscle strength than humans on bed rest do
A new study from the May/June 2007 issue of Physiological and
Biochemical Zoology quantifiably measures the loss of strength and
endurance in black bears during long periods of hibernation. T.D.
Lohuis (Alaska Department of Fish and Game) and his co-authors find
that black bears in hibernation lose about one-half as much skeletal
muscle strength as do humans confined to bed rest for similar periods
of time.
Contact: Suzanne Wu
swu@press.uchicago.edu
773-834-0386
University of
Chicago Press Journals
Public Release: 24-Apr-2007
Next-generation, high-performance
processor unveiled at the University of Texas at Austin
The prototype for a revolutionary new general-purpose computer
processor, which has the potential of reaching trillions of
calculations per second, has been designed and built by a team of
computer scientists at The University of Texas at Austin.
US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Contact: Stephen Keckler
skeckler@cs.utexas.edu
512-471-9763
University of Texas at
Austin
Public Release: 24-Apr-2007
Journal of Consumer Research
U of M researchers find ceiling height
can affect how a person thinks, feels and acts
For years contractors, real estate agents and event planners have said
that whether building, buying or planning an event, a higher or vaulted
ceiling is always better. Are they right? Until now there has been no
real evidence that ceiling height has any influence or advantage with
consumers. But recent research by Joan Meyers-Levy, a professor of
marketing at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management,
suggests that the way people think and act is affected by ceiling
height.
Contact: David Ruth
druth@umn.edu
612-624-1690
University of Minnesota
Public Release: 24-Apr-2007
Trials
FDA causes unnecessary scare about
common painkillers
The US Food and Drug Administration has caused an unnecessary scare
about some pain relievers by adding a warning to drugs that are safe,
says Curt Furberg, M.D., Ph.D., from Wake Forest University School of
Medicine. At the same time, he says the agency has failed to recognize
the harm of a pain reliever that should be taken off the market.
Contact: Karen Richardson
krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu
336-716-4453
Wake Forest University
Baptist Medical Center
Public Release: 24-Apr-2007
Angewandte Chemie
Discovery of new family of pseudo-metallic chemicals
A new discovery by a University of Missouri-Columbia research team,
published in Angewandte Chemie, the journal of the German Society of
Chemists, allows scientists to manipulate a molecule discovered 50
years ago in such as way as to give the molecule metal-like properties,
creating a new, "pseudo" element. The pseudo-metal properties can be
adjusted for a wide range of uses and might change the way scientists
think about attacking disease or even building electronics.
Contact: Christian Basi
BasiC@missouri.edu
573-882-4430
University of
Missouri-Columbia
Public Release: 25-Apr-2007
Neurology
Commonly used pain medications do not
prevent Alzheimer's disease
Over-the-counter pain medication naproxen and prescription pain
reliever celecoxib do not prevent Alzheimer's disease, according to a
study published April 25, 2007, in the online edition of Neurology, the
scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology. These findings
appear to contradict earlier observational studies, which found
sustained use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may have a
protective effect against Alzheimer's disease.
NIH/National Institute on Aging
Contact: Angela Babb
ababb@aan.com
651-695-2789
American Academy of
Neurology
Public Release: 25-Apr-2007
Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting
1/3
of sexually active older adults with HIV/AIDs has unprotected sex
One out of three sexually active older adults infected with HIV has
unprotected sex, according to a study by Ohio University researchers. A
survey of 260 HIV-positive older adults found that of those having sex,
most were male, took Viagra and were in a relationship.
NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, NIH/National Institute of
Nursing Research
Contact: Andrea Gibson
gibsona@ohio.edu
740-597-2166
Ohio University
Urban
birds sing at night to be heard
The
iconic British robin is being forced to sing at night in urban areas,
probably because daytime traffic noise is drowning out his mating
serenades
16:08 25 April 2007
Head researchers turn their
attention to beer
Brewers
should get a new level of control over their beer heads thanks to the
mathematics of bubbles
18:00 25 April 2007
Single stars may
finally admit their ages
Lone stars are notoriously reluctant to reveal their ages, but a new
technique based on their spin may pry it out of them
21:08 25 April 2007
Public Release: 26-Apr-2007
American Academy of Neurology's 59th Annual Meeting
Over time, more women are developing MS
than men
Over time, more women are developing multiple sclerosis (MS) than men,
according to research that will be presented at the American Academy of
Neurology's 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 28–May 5,
2007.
Contact: Angela Babb
ababb@aan.com
651-695-2789
American Academy of
Neurology
Public Release: 26-Apr-2007
Current Biology
How dogs don't ape
New research by Friederike Range and Ludwig Huber, of the University of
Vienna, and Zsofia Viranyi, of the Eötvös University
in Budapest,
reveals striking similarities between humans and dogs in the way they
imitate the actions of others. The phenomenon under investigation is
known as "selective imitation" and implies that dogs -- like human
infants -- do not simply copy an action they observe, but adjust the
extent to which they imitate to the circumstances of the action.
European Community's Sixth Framework Programme
Contact: Erin Doonan
edoonan@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press
Public Release: 26-Apr-2007
Science
Volcanic eruptions, ancient global
warming linked
A team of scientists announced today confirmation of a link between
massive volcanic eruptions along the east coast of Greenland and in the
western British Isles about 55 million years ago and a period of global
warming that raised sea surface temperatures by 5 degrees (Celsius) in
the tropics and more than 6 degrees in the Arctic.
Villum Kann Rasmussen Foundation, National Science Foundation
Contact: Bob Duncan
rduncan@coas.oregonstate.edu
541-737-5189
Oregon State University
Public Release: 26-Apr-2007
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Drug therapy can reduce preterm births
and decrease lifetime medical costs
Researchers from MetroHealth Medical Center and Case Western Reserve
University in Cleveland, OH found that treating expectant mothers who
have had previous spontaneous preterm births with 17 Alpha
Hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17P) and reducing the incidence of
another preterm birth would consequently reduce both short-term and
lifetime medical costs in offspring by $2 billion per year. The results
of their study are reported in the March issue of the American Journal
of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Contact: Pamela Poppalardo
ajogmedia@elsevier.com
212-633-3944
Elsevier Health
Sciences
Public Release: 26-Apr-2007
19th Annual Meeting of the Association for Psychological Science
Perspectives on Psychological Science
Decision making by the growing elderly
population is uncharted territory
The human brain's ability to process information declines with age, but
knowledge about the world through experiences tends to rise over time.
So how do these shifts affect a person's ability to make sound
decisions?
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, National Science Foundation
Contact: Jim Barlow
jebarlow@uoregon.edu
541-346-3481
University of Oregon
Public
Release: 26-Apr-2007
Climate catastrophes in the solar system
Earth sits between two worlds that have been devastated by climate
catastrophes. In the effort to combat global warming, our neighbors can
provide valuable insights into the way climate catastrophes affect
planets.
Contact: Håkan Svedhem
hakan.svedhem@esa.int
31-715-653-370
European Space Agency
Public Release: 26-Apr-2007
British Medical Journal
Teens can perform CPR as well as adults
and should be taught from an early age
Thirteen-year-olds can perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as
well as adults, finds a study published online in BMJ today. The
authors suggest that children as young as 9 years old should be taught
CPR skills including chest compressions.
Contact: Emma Dickinson
edickinson@bmj.com
44-020-738-36529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Public Release: 26-Apr-2007
Journal of Neuroscience
Scientists identify key to integrating
transplanted nerve cells into injured tissue
Scientists at the Schepens Eye Research Institute, an affiliate of
Harvard Medical School, have identified a key mechanism for
successfully transplanting tissue into the adult central nervous
system. The study found that a molecule known as MMP-2 (which is
induced by stem cells) has the ability to break down barriers on the
outer surface of a damaged retina and allow healthy donor cells to
integrate and wire themselves into remaining recipient tissue.
Contact: Patti Jacobs
pjacobs12@comcast.net
617-872-0364
Schepens Eye
Research Institute
Public
Release: 27-Apr-2007
ACS Chemical Biology
Anti-fungal drug stops blood vessel
growth
Researchers at Johns
Hopkins have discovered to their surprise that a
drug commonly used to treat toenail fungus can also block angiogenesis,
the growth of new blood vessels commonly seen in cancers. The drug,
itraconazole, is already FDA approved for human use, which may
fast-track its availability as an anti-angiogenesis drug.
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Fund for Medical
Discovery, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Keck Foundation,
Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute Fund
Contact: Nick Zagorski
nzagors1@jhmi.edu
443-287-2251
Johns Hopkins
Medical Institutions
Public Release: 27-Apr-2007
Nature
Chemical Biology
Anti-dandruff compound may help fight
epilepsy
Researchers at Johns
Hopkins have discovered that the same ingredient
used in dandruff shampoos to fight the burning, itching and flaking on
your head also can calm overexcited nerve cells inside your head,
making it a potential treatment for seizures. Results of the study can
be found online in Nature Chemical Biology.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Nick Zagorski
nzagors1@jhmi.edu
443-287-2251
Johns Hopkins
Medical Institutions
April 29, 2007
The
Basics
Just 120 Trillion Miles From Home
By
DENNIS OVERBYE
How soon till we can get
to the Goldilocks planet? Don’t cash in your frequent flier
miles yet.
Scientists 'reverse' memory loss
The study says progress is possible even after major brain damage
Mental stimulation and drug
treatment could help people with degenerative brain diseases such as
Alzheimer's recover their memories, a study says.
Mouse brain simulated on computer
It takes a supercomputer to mimic a mouse brain
US researchers have simulated half a virtual mouse brain on a supercomputer.
Public Release: 29-Apr-2007
Experimental Biology 2007
Green tea compound suppresses factors causing cartilage, bone destruction in arthritis
In rheumatoid arthritis, a person's own immune system attacks the
joints by activating the synovial tissue that lines the body’s movable
joints, causing inflammation, swelling, pain and eventually erosion of
the bone and cartilage and deformation of the joint. Dr. Salah-uddin
Ahmed reports that a compound derived from green tea was able to
inhibit production of several immune system molecules involved in
inflammation and joint damage.
National Institutes of Health, US Veteran Administration Medical Research Service
Contact: Sylvia Wrobel
ebpress@bellsouth.net
770-270-0989
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Public Release: 29-Apr-2007
Experimental Biology 2007
Chinese medicinal compound stops formation of cysts in polycystic kidney disease in lab
Using a compound from a centuries-old Chinese traditional medicine,
Yale University researcher Dr. Craig Crews has been able to prevent the
formation of kidney-destroying cysts in a mouse model of polycystic
kidney disease.
Contact: Sylvia Wrobel
ebpress@bellsouth.net
770-270-0989
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Public Release: 29-Apr-2007
Experimental Biology 2007
'Exercise pill' switches on gene that tells cells to burn fat
By giving ordinary adult mice a drug -- a synthetic designed to mimic
fat -- scientists are now able to chemically switch on PPAR-d, the
master regulator that controls the ability of cells to burn fat. Even
when the mice are not active, turning on the chemical switch activates
the same fat-burning process that occurs during exercise. The resulting
shift in energy balance (calories in, calories burned) makes the mice
resistant to weight gain on a high fat diet.
Contact: Sylvia Wrobel
ebpress@bellsouth.net
770-270-0989
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Public Release: 29-Apr-2007
Experimental Biology 2007
Reversing cancer cells to normal cells
A Northwestern University scientist describes new research that used an
innovative experimental approach to provide unique insights into how
scientists can change human metastatic melanoma cells back to
normal-like skin cells -- by exposing the tumor cells to the embryonic
microenvironment of human embryonic stem cells, the zebra fish and the
chick embryo.
NIH/National Cancer Institute
Contact: Marla Paul
marla-paul@northwestern.edu
312-503-8928
Northwestern University
Public Release: 30-Apr-2007
Experimental Biology 2007
Cherries may help reduce metabolic syndrome and heart disease risk factors
Increasing intake of antioxidant-rich cherries may help lower the risk
of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, suggests a new study
presented today at the Experimental Biology annual meeting.
Contact: Sarah Kittel
press@choosecherries.com
312-988-2043
Weber Shandwick Worldwide
WORD document HERE
