Public Release: 31-Dec-2007
Annals of Internal Medicine Doctors may be giving the wrong dosage of adrenaline in an emergency because of labelling
A new study by Cambridge University reveals that doctors treating
life-threatening emergencies such as allergy attacks may give the wrong
dosage of adrenaline (epinephrine) because of confusing labelling.
Contact: Dr Daniel Wheeler dww21@cam.ac.uk
44-019-542-11971 University of Cambridge Public Release: 31-Dec-2007 Helium supplies endangered, threatening science and technology
In America, helium is running out of gas. The uplifting element is
being depleted so rapidly in the world's largest reserve, outside of
Amarillo, Texas, that supplies are expected to be depleted there within
the next eight years. This deflates more than the Goodyear blimp and
party favors. Its larger impact is on science and technology, according
to Lee Sobotka, professor of chemistry and physics at Washington
University in St. Louis
Contact: Tony Fitzpatrick tony_fitzpatrick@wustl.edu
314-935-5272 Washington University in St. Louis Public Release: 31-Dec-2007
Journal of Neuroscience Researchers reverse effects of sleep deprivation
Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have shown
that the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance can be
reversed when the naturally occurring brain peptide, orexin-A, is
administered in monkeys.
Contact: Shannon Koontz shkoontz@wfubmc.edu
336-716-2415 Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Public Release: 1-Jan-2008
Journal of Clinical Oncology Ashkenazi ovarian cancer patients with BRCA mutations live longer than those with normal gene
Israeli investigators have found that Ashkenazi Jewish women with
ovarian cancer who have mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes lived
significantly longer than Ashkenazi Jewish ovarian cancer patients
without these mutations. After up to nine years of follow-up, BRCA1/2
mutation carriers were 28 percent less likely to die from the disease,
even though women with the BRCA mutations are significantly more likely
to develop ovarian and breast cancers.
Contact: Tiffany Reynolds reynoldt@asco.org
703-519-1423 American Society of Clinical Oncology Public Release: 1-Jan-2008 For women, marital distress means less relief from stress
Here's a novel idea for unwinding after a stressful day at the office:
find a happy marriage. That's the suggestion from a new UCLA study that
tracked levels of cortisol, a key stress hormone, among 30 Los Angeles
married couples involved in one of our age's trickiest juggling acts --
raising kids when both parents work full time.
Contact: Meg Sullivan msullivan@support.ucla.edu
310-825-1046 University of California - Los Angeles Public Release: 1-Jan-2008
Sleep Preschoolers' nightmares less prevalent, are trait-like and associated with personality
Bad dreams in preschoolers are less prevalent than thought. However,
when they do exist, nightmares are trait-like in nature and associated
with personality characteristics measured as early as five months.
Contact: Jim Arcuri jarcuri@aasmnet.org
708-492-0930 American Academy of Sleep Medicine Public Release: 1-Jan-2008
Transportation Research Board annual meeting Drivers on cell phones clog traffic
Motorists who talk on cell phones drive slower on the freeway, pass
sluggish vehicles less often and take longer to complete their trips,
according to a University of Utah study that suggests drivers on cell
phones congest traffic. "At the end of the day, the average person's
commute is longer because of that person who is on the cell phone right
in front of them," says psychologist Dave Strayer, leader of the
research team.
University of Utah
Contact: Lee Siegel leesiegel@ucomm.utah.edu
801-581-8993 University of Utah Public Release: 1-Jan-2008
Clinical Cancer Research 'Swish-and-spit' test accurate for cancer
A morning gargle could someday be more than a breath freshener -- it
could spot head and neck cancer, say scientists at the Johns Hopkins
Kimmel Cancer Center. Their new study of a mouth rinse that captures
genetic signatures common to the disease holds promise for screening
those at high risk, including heavy smokers and alcohol drinkers.
Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, Flight Attendant Medical
Research Institute, NIH/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial
Research, NIH/National Cancer Institute
Contact: Vanessa Wasta wastava@jhmi.edu
410-955-1287 Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Public Release: 1-Jan-2008
Clinical Cancer Research Research suggests new treatment suitable for all patients
New research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center suggests
that a three-drug cocktail may one day improve outcomes in patients
with glioblastoma multiforme, a type of brain tumor with a dismal
prognosis. Two of the drug candidates have been developed, and the team
is working on the third -- all targeted to kill or impair cancer cells
and spare healthy brain.
NIH/National Cancer Institute, NIH/National Institute of Neurological
Disorders, Wake Forest Brain Tumor Center of Excellence
Contact: Shannon Koontz shkoontz@wfubmc.edu
336-716-2415 Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
Well A Clutter Too Deep for Mere Bins and Shelves
By TARA PARKER-POPE
Disorganization may be a person problem, not a house problem. January 1, 2008
Really? The Claim: Drinking Makes You Warmer in Winter
In moderation, the right beverage can bring cheer on a cold winter night. But will it really warm you up?
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR Killing Dogs in Training of Doctors Is to End
By NICHOLAS BAKALAR
Published: January 1, 2008
By next month, all American medical schools will have abandoned a
time-honored method of teaching cardiology: operating on dogs to
examine their beating hearts, and disposing of them after the lesson. Hospitals Slow in Heart Cases, Research Finds
By DENISE GRADY
In nearly a third of cases of sudden cardiac arrest in the hospital, the staff takes too long to respond, a study finds.
Public Release: 2-Jan-2008
Journal of Clinical Investigation Einstein researchers discover important clue to the cause of Parkinson's disease
A glitch in the mechanism by which cells recycle damaged components may
trigger Parkinson's disease, according to a study by scientists at the
Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. The
research, which appears in the Jan. 2 advance online issue of the
Journal of Clinical Investigation, could lead to new strategies for
treating Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Contact: Karen Gardner kgardner@aecom.yu.edu
718-430-3101 Albert Einstein College of Medicine Public Release: 2-Jan-2008
Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology Colon cancer risk in US traced to common ancester
A married couple who sailed from England to America around 1630 may be
the ancestors of hundreds of people alive today who are at risk for a
hereditary form of colon cancer. Researchers from Huntsman Cancer
Institute at the University of Utah have discovered a mutation that has
been traced from many individuals today back to a common ancestor --
which may contribute to a significant percentage of colon cancer cases
in the United States.
NIH/National Cancer Institute, Utah Department of Health, University of Utah, Huntsman Cancer Institute
Contact: Christopher Nelson
801-581-5148 University of Utah Health Sciences Public Release: 2-Jan-2008 Smoking rate among New York City teens was lowest on record in 2007
New data from the 2007 New York City Youth Risk Behavior Survey
indicate that cigarette smoking among NYC teens declined by 20 percent
between 2005 and 2007. The city's teen smoking rate has dropped by more
than half over the past six years, from 17.6 percent in 2001 to 8.5
percent in 2007.
Contact: Jessica Scaperotti jscapero@health.nyc.gov
212-788-5290 New York City Health Department Public Release: 2-Jan-2008 SETI@home ramps up to analyze more data in search of extraterrestrial intelligence
The longest-running search for radio signals from alien civilizations
is getting a burst of new data from an upgraded Arecibo telescope,
which means the SETI@home project needs more desktop computers to help
crunch the data. According to UC Berkeley's Dan Werthimer, the project
already boasts the largest number of dedicated users: 170,000.
Contact: Robert Sanders rsanders@berkeley.edu
510-643-6998 University of California - Berkeley Public Release: 2-Jan-2008
Nature Scientists find missing evolutionary link using tiny fungus crystal
The crystal structure of a molecule from a primitive fungus has served
as a time machine to show researchers more about the evolution of life
from the simple to the complex.
Contact: Susan A. Steeves ssteeves@purdue.edu
765-496-7481 Purdue University Public Release: 2-Jan-2008
PLoS ONE Carnegie Mellon study identifies where thoughts of familiar objects occur inside the human brain
Carnegie Mellon University researchers, using machine learning and
brain imaging, have found a way to identify where people's thoughts and
perceptions of familiar objects originate in the brain by identifying
the patterns of brain activity associated with the objects.
W. M. Keck Foundation, National Science Foundation
Contact: Anne Watzman aw16@andrew.cmu.edu
412-268-3830 Carnegie Mellon University Public Release: 2-Jan-2008 Insect attack may have finished off dinosaurs
Asteroid impacts or massive volcanic flows might have occurred around
the time dinosaurs became extinct, but a new book argues that the
mightiest creatures the world has ever known may have been brought down
by a tiny, much less dramatic force -- biting, disease-carrying
insects.
Contact: George Poinar, Jr. poinarg@science.oregonstate.edu
541-737-5366 Oregon State University Public Release: 3-Jan-2008
Science 2 explosive evolutionary events shaped early history of multicellular life
Scientists have known for some time that most major groups of complex
animals appeared in the fossils record during the Cambrian Explosion, a
seemingly rapid evolutionary event that occurred 542 million years ago.
Now Virginia Tech paleontologists, using rigorous analytical methods,
have identified another explosive evolutionary event that occurred
about 33 million years earlier among macroscopic life forms unrelated
to the Cambrian animals.
National Science Foundation
Contact: Susan Trulove STrulove@vt.edu
540-231-5646 Virginia Tech Public Release: 3-Jan-2008
Notices of the American Mathematical Society A crystal that nature may have missed
Some secrets of the beauty of a diamond can be uncovered by a
mathematical analysis of its microscopic crystal structure. This
structure has some very special, and especially symmetric, properties.
Out of an infinite universe of mathematical crystals, only one other,
the "K_4 crystal", shares these properties with the diamond. It is not
known whether the K_4 crystal exists in nature or could be synthesized.
Contact: Toshikazu Sunada sunada@math.meiji.ac.jp American Mathematical Society Public Release: 3-Jan-2008
Nature Earthquake 'memory' could spur aftershocks
Using a novel device that simulates earthquakes in a laboratory
setting, a Los Alamos researcher and his colleagues have shown that
seismic waves -- the sounds radiated from earthquakes -- can induce
earthquake aftershocks, often long after a quake has subsided.
Contact: James E. Rickman jamesr@lanl.gov
505-665-9203 DOE/Los Alamos National Laboratory Public Release: 3-Jan-2008
Astrophysical Journal Letters Red dust in planet-forming disk may harbor precursors to life
Astronomers at the Carnegie Institution have found the first
indications of highly complex organic molecules in the disk of red dust
surrounding a distant star. The eight-million-year-old star, known as
HR 4796A, is inferred to be in the late stages of planet formation,
suggesting that the basic building blocks of life may be common in
planetary systems.
Contact: John Debes debes@dtm.ciw.edu
202-478-8862 Carnegie Institution Public Release: 3-Jan-2008
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience Researchers use neuroimaging to study ESP
Researchers from Harvard University have used neuroimaging to study the
existence of ESP. The scientists used brain scanning techniques to
determine if the individuals have knowledge that can not be explained
through normal perceptual processing. The results appear to disprove
the existence of ESP.
Bial Foundation, Richard Hodgson Memorial Fund
Contact: Amy Lavoie amy_lavoie@harvard.edu
617-496-9982 Harvard University Public Release: 4-Jan-2008 How to imbue products with symbolic meaning
Many people pay silly money to wear a particular logo or a designer
brand. Of course, a designer outfit doesn't keep you any warmer or
dryer than an unbranded one, but functionality is only part of the
story. Designer products say something about you -- you are a trendy,
sexy or sophisticated person. Brands help us to express who we think we
are and who we want to be.
Contact: Davide Ravasi davide.ravasi@unibocconi.it
39-258-362-540 European Science Foundation
A 50-metre asteroid has a 1 in 28 chance of hitting Mars this month – but what if it were hurtling towards Earth instead?
00:01 04 January 2008
Public Release: 4-Jan-2008
Nature New route for heredity bypasses DNA
A group of scientists in Princeton's Department of Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology has uncovered a new biological mechanism that
could provide a clearer window into a cell's inner workings.
National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health
Contact: Cass Cliatt ccliatt@princeton.edu
609-258-6108 Princeton University
Tubes
of boron could have many of the same properties as carbon nanotubes,
and for some electrical applications, they may even be better
15:00 04 January 2008
Public Release: 6-Jan-2008
Nature Biotechnology MIT finds key to avian flu in humans
MIT researchers have uncovered a critical difference between flu
viruses that infect birds and humans, a discovery that could help
scientists monitor the evolution of avian flu strains and aid in the
development of vaccines against a deadly flu pandemic.
NIH/National Institute for General Medical Sciences
Contact: Elizabeth Thomson thomson@mit.edu
617-258-5402 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Public Release: 6-Jan-2008
Nature Medicine UCLA scientists restore walking after spinal cord injury
A UCLA study demonstrates that the nervous system can reorganize itself
after spinal cord injury and use new pathways to restore the cellular
communication required for walking. Published in the January edition of
Nature Medicine, the discovery could lead to new therapies for the
estimated 250,000 Americans who suffer from paralysis following
traumatic spinal cord injuries.
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke, Adelson
Medical Foundation, Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Fund of
California, Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
Contact: Elaine Schmidt eschmidt@mednet.ucla.edu
310-794-2272 University of California - Los Angeles Public Release: 6-Jan-2008
Nature Genetics Medical breakthrough for organ transplants and cardiovascular diseases by Flemish researchers
When a blood vessel clogs up, a localized deficiency of oxygen results,
causing the surrounding tissue to die. However, working with mice, VIB
scientists connected to the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven have been
able to prevent muscular tissue with severe hypoxia from dying. For the
medical world, this discovery signifies an important step forward in
limiting damage after a heart attack, for example, or for better
preservation of organs awaiting transplants.
CNIC, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Lymphatic Research Foundation,
Fond Québécois de la nature et des technologies, Federal Government
Belgium, FWO, National Institutes of Health, FRFC, K.U.Leuven, VIB (the
Flanders Institute for Biotechnology)
Contact: Joke Comijn joke.comijn@vib.be
329-244-6611 VIB (the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology) Public Release: 7-Jan-2008
American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology Mini 'stress tests' could help condition heart to survive major attack
People who experience brief periods of blocked blood flow may be better
conditioned to survive a full-blown heart attack later, according to
new research from the University of Cincinnati.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Amanda Harper amanda.harper@uc.edu
513-558-4657 University of Cincinnati
WORD document HERE
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke, Adelson
Medical Foundation, Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Fund of
California, Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation 
