Public Release: 27-Jan-2008
Epilepsia Modified Atkins diet can cut epileptic
seizures in adults
A modified version of a popular high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet can
significantly cut the number of seizures in adults with epilepsy, a
study led by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests. The Atkins-like diet,
which has shown promise for seizure control in children, may offer a
new lifeline for patients when drugs and other treatments fail or cause
complications.
Contact: Christen Brownlee cbrownlee@jhmi.edu
410-955-7832 Johns Hopkins
Medical Institutions
Public Release: 28-Jan-2008
PLoS Biology Naked mole-rats bear chili pepper heat
Scientists have used gene therapy to restore sensation in naked
mole-rats, strange rodents that lack a key neurotransmitter that causes
prolonged pain perception in other mammals. The finding may lead to new
analgesics for people with chronic pain who do not respond to current
medication.
National Institutes of Health, Alexander von Humbolt Foundation,
Deutsche Forschunsgemeinschaft
Contact: Paul Francuch francuch@uic.edu
312-996-3457 University of Illinois at
Chicago Public Release: 28-Jan-2008
44th Annual Meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Downsized heart aids bypass surgery
An estimated one in 20 patients undergoing a common operation to boost
blood supply to the heart and to ward off repeat heart attacks may do
better if their surgeons also remold the heart to a near normal size,
by cutting and suturing together stretched muscle and scar tissue
resulting from the initial attack, according to cardiac surgeons at
Johns Hopkins.
Contact: David March dmarch1@jhmi.edu
410-955-1534 Johns Hopkins
Medical Institutions Public Release: 28-Jan-2008
Tobacco Control Number of Russian women smokers has
doubled since Soviet collapse
The number of Russian women who smoke has more than doubled since the
collapse of the Soviet Union, according to new research.
Contact: Andrew McLaughlin a.mclaughlin@bath.ac.uk
44-012-253-86883 University of Bath Public Release: 28-Jan-2008
Social Science and Medicine Researchers find that middle-aged
misery spans the globe
Using data on 2 million people, from 80 nations, researchers from the
University of Warwick and Dartmouth College in the US have found an
extraordinarily consistent international pattern in depression and
happiness levels that leaves us most miserable in middle age.
Contact: Peter Dunn p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk
247-652-3708 University of Warwick Public Release: 28-Jan-2008
Laryngoscope Over-the-counter eardrops may cause
hearing loss or damage
A new study, led by researchers at The Montreal Children's Hospital of
the MUHC, has revealed that certain over-the-counter earwax softeners
can cause severe inflammation and damage to the eardrum and inner ear.
The results of the study, recently published in The Laryngoscope,
suggest that use of these medications should be discouraged.
Contact: Lisa Dutton lisa.dutton@muhc.mcgill.ca
514-412-4307 McGill University Health
Centre Public Release: 28-Jan-2008
Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology Regular marijuana use increases risk of
hepatitis C-related liver damage
Patients with chronic hepatitis C infection should not use marijuana
daily, according to a study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and
Hepatology. Researchers found that HCV patients who used cannabis daily
were at significantly higher risk of moderate to severe liver fibrosis,
or tissue scarring. Additionally, patients with moderate to heavy
alcohol use combined with regular cannabis use experienced an even
greater risk of liver fibrosis.
Contact: Aimee Frank media@gastro.org
301-941-2620 American
Gastroenterological Association Public Release: 28-Jan-2008 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
researchers race against time to save Tasmanian devils
A delegation of Tasmanian government officials traveled halfway around
the world to visit Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, to lend their support
and extend their gratitude for research aimed at understanding a unique
transmissible and rapidly spreading cancer that threatens the very
existence of Tasmanian devils.
Contact: Jim Bono bono@cshl.edu
516-367-8455 Cold Spring Harbor
Laboratory Cells' internal clocks
revealed
A person's preference for being a "lark" or a "night-owl" is largely
determined by genes, a study suggests.
Chameleons' colourful flashes are social
signals
Chameleons are famed for changing colour to disappear into their
surroundings but research shows they also use colour to attract
attention
01:00 29 January 2008 Vital Signs Safety: Nonstandard Work
Shifts May Hinder Recovery
By ERIC NAGOURNEY
Published: January 29, 2008
Patching up injured workers and sending them back to work after some
time off and physical rehabilitation may be fine if they have ordinary
jobs. The History of medicine in
ancient Persia
Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:18:00
By Hedieh Ghavidel, Press TV, Tehran
The history of medicine in Iran is as old and as rich as its
civilization. In the Avesta, science and medicine rise above class,
ethnicity, nationality, race, gender and religion. Really? The Claim: Never Drink
Hot Water From the Tap
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
The claim has the ring of a myth. But environmental scientists say it
is real. Observatory 120 Million Years Old,
Fossil Shows Divergence of Platypus and Anteater
By HENRY FOUNTAIN New Insights Into Genital
Pain in Women
By JANE E. BRODY
Studies have shown that sexual phobias are rarely the explanation for a
condition known as vulvodynia. Questioning the Allure of
Putting Cells in the Bank
By ANDREW POLLACK
Some experts say consumers should think twice before spending money on
storing stem cells, because it is not clear how useful they will be. Public Release:
29-Jan-2008
FASEB Journal New research explains link between smoking and
SIDS
A new study from McMaster University in Hamilton sheds light on the
relationship between women who smoke while pregnant -- or are exposed
to secondhand smoke -- and an increased risk of SIDS to their babies.
Researchers found that an infant's ability to respond to oxygen
deprivation is dramatically compromised by exposure to nicotine in the
womb, even light to moderate amounts.
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Canadian Institutes of Health
Research, Focus on Stroke
Contact: Michelle Donovan donovam@mcmaster.ca
905-525-9140 McMaster University Public Release:
29-Jan-2008
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Breakdown of kidney's ability to clean
its own filters likely causes disease
The kidney actively cleans its most selective filter to keep it from
clogging with blood proteins, scientists from Washington University
School of Medicine in St. Louis reveal in a new study. Researchers
showed that breakdown of this self-cleaning feature can make kidneys
more vulnerable to dysfunction and disease.
National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Contact: Michael C. Purdy purdym@wustl.edu
314-286-0122 Washington
University School of Medicine
Public
Release: 29-Jan-2008
PLoS ONE The eyes have it
Using the radiocarbon dating method and special proteins in the lens of
the eye, researchers at the University of Copenhagen and Aarhus can now
establish, with relatively high precision, when a person was born. This
provides a useful tool for forensic scientists who can use it to
establish the date of birth of an unidentified body and could also have
further consequences for health science research. The findings are
published in the online, open-access journal PLoS ONE on Jan. 30.
Contact: Associate Professor Niels Lynnerup n.lynnerup@antrolab.ku.dk
453-532-7239 Public Library of Science
Public Release:
29-Jan-2008
Journal of Environmental Quality Smithsonian study: Sediment prediction
tools off the mark
A recent study led by Smithsonian ecologist Kathy Boomer suggests it is
time for a change in at least one area of watershed management. Boomer
has been examining the tools scientists and managers use to predict how
much sediment runs into the Chesapeake Bay, and by her account, they
are way off the mark. The study, co-authored by SERC ecological modeler
Donald Weller and ecologist Thomas Jordan, appears in the
January/February issue of the Journal of Environmental Quality.
Contact: Kimbra Cutlip cutlipk@si.edu
443-482-2325 Smithsonian
The
scar, discovered during the first flyby of the planet by NASA's
Messenger probe, is unlike anything else seen in the solar system
21:04 30 January 2008
Public Release: 31-Jan-2008
Journal of Investigative Dermatology Research suggests why scratching is so
relieving
In the first study to use imaging technology to see what goes on in the
brain when we scratch, researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist
Medical Center have uncovered new clues about why scratching may be so
relieving -- and why it can be hard to stop. The work is reported
online in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, and will appear in
a future print issue.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Karen Richardson krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu
336-716-4453 Wake Forest University
Baptist Medical Center Public Release: 31-Jan-2008
British Journal of Psychiatry Suicide risk factors consistent across
nations
In a new study from a professor at Harvard University, researchers have
found that across 17 countries the risk factors for suicidal behavior
are largely consistent, and include having a mental disorder and being
female, younger, less educated, and unmarried. Additionally, the
researchers found higher rates than expected for suicidal behavior.
Contact: Amy Lavoie amy_lavoie@harvard.edu
617-496-9982 Harvard University Public Release: 31-Jan-2008
Earth and Planetary Science Letters Towards a better understanding of hot spot
volcanism
Researchers from the IRD and the University of Chile investigated the
phenomena that led to the recent activity of seven hot spots located in
the central Pacific. Numerical mechanical models showed that variations
in movement of the Pacific plate, generating shearing stresses within
it, could facilitate the rise of magma towards the surface. This
discovery, if corroborated, would indicate that the formation of
certain hot spots depended on the movement of the tectonic plates.
Contact: Gregory Flechet fichesactu@paris.ird.fr
33-014-803-7607 Institut de Recherche Pour le
Développement
An
accidental discovery in an exceptional African biodiversity hotspot has
yielded a new species of mammal – an unusually large elephant
shrew
05:00 01 February 2008
Public Release:
31-Jan-2008
Science Lost City pumps life-essential
chemicals at rates unseen at typical black smokers
Hydrocarbons -- molecules critical to life -- are being generated by
the simple interaction of seawater with the rocks under the Lost City
hydrothermal vent field in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. Being able to
produce building blocks of life makes Lost City-like vents even
stronger contenders as places where life might have originated on Earth.
National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Contact: Sandra Hines shines@u.washington.edu
206-543-2580 University of Washington Public Release:
31-Jan-2008
Retrovirology Anti-parasite drug may provide new way
to attack HIV
A drug already used to treat parasitic infections, and once looked at
for cancer, also attacks the human immunodeficiency virus in a new and
powerful way, according to research published today online in the open
access journal Retrovirology.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Greg Williams Greg_Williams@urmc.rochester.edu
585-273-1757 University of
Rochester Medical Center Public Release: 1-Feb-2008
Cancer Research Prostate
cancer: Watchful wait or vaccinate?
Researchers at the University of Southern California have developed a
prostate cancer vaccine that prevented the development of cancer in 90
percent of young mice genetically predestined to develop the disease.
In the Feb. 1 issue of Cancer Research, they suggest the same strategy
might work for men with rising levels of PSA, a potential diagnostic
indicator of prostate cancer
Contact: Staci Vernick Goldberg Staci.goldberg@aacr.org
267-646-0616 American Association for
Cancer Research Public Release: 1-Feb-2008 Globetrotting
black rat genes reveal spread of humans and diseases
DNA of the common black rat has shed light on the ancient spread of
rats, people and diseases around the globe. Studying the mitochondrial
DNA of 165 black rat specimens from 32 countries around the world, an
international team of scientists has identified six distinct lineages
in the black rat's family tree, each originating from a different part
of Asia.
Contact: Andrea Wild andrea.wild@csiro.au CSIRO Australia Public Release: 1-Feb-2008
2008 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology New
findings show Enbrel significantly reduced levels of C-reactive protein
Amgen and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth, today announced
findings from a retrospective analysis, which demonstrated that ENBREL
reduced C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, in patients with
moderate to severe plaque psoriasis following 12 weeks of treatment.
Median reduction in CRP levels was 10 times greater in the ENBREL
treated group compared to the placebo treated group. These results will
be presented today at the American Academy of Dermatology Scientific
Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.
Contact: Sonia Fiorenza fiorenza@amgen.com
805-447-1604 Porter Novelli Public Release: 1-Feb-2008
Gastroenterology Smoking
can double risk of colorectal polyps
Smokers have a two-fold increased risk of developing colorectal polyps,
the suspected underlying cause of most colorectal cancers, according to
a study published in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the
American Gastroenterological Association Institute.
Contact: Aimee Frank media@gastro.org
301-941-2620 American
Gastroenterological Association Public Release: 1-Feb-2008
Animal Behavior Key
'impact hunters' catalyze hunting among male chimpanzees
Male chimpanzees hunt in groups, but among the group, certain
chimpanzees are "impact hunters" that lead the group to hunt, according
to researchers from Harvard University.
National Science Foundation
Contact: Amy Lavoie amy_lavoie@harvard.edu
617-496-9982 Harvard University Public Release: 1-Feb-2008
Arthritis Care and Research Taking
more than 1 anti-inflammatory drug may lead to complications
A new study found that taking two NSAIDs was associated with lower
scores on a health-related quality of life assessment.
Contact: Amy Molnar amolnar@wiley.com Wiley-Blackwell Public Release: 1-Feb-2008
International Journal of Radiation, Oncology, Biology, Physics Larynx
preservation preferred over total laryngectomy
Patients with locally advanced laryngopharyngeal cancers who receive
radical chemoradiation have significantly better voice outcomes during
the 12 months following treatment when compared with patients who have
undergone a total laryngectomy and surgical voice restoration,
according to a study in the Feb. 1 issue of the International Journal
for Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the
American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.
Contact: Beth Bukata bethb@astro.org
703-839-7332 American Society for
Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Public Release: 1-Feb-2008
Hepatology Silymarin
does not affect virus activity or ALT levels in HCV Patients
In a survey of patients with chronic hepatitis C who participated in a
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases-sponsored long-term treatment trial for patients who had
failed to respond previously to antiviral therapy, approximately 40
percent acknowledged to interviewers at the time of enrollment that
they were currently using or had in the recent past used herbal
products for health purposes.
Contact: Amy Molnar amolnar@wiley.com Wiley-Blackwell Public Release: 1-Feb-2008
Cerebral Cortex Brain
region that can be stimulated to reduce the cognitive deficits of sleep
deprivation identified
A Columbia University Medical Center research team has uncovered how
stimulation of a particular brain region can help stave off the
deficits in working memory, associated with an extended sleep
deprivation.
Contact: Elizabeth Streich eas2125@columbia.edu
212-305-6535 Columbia
University Medical Center
The
finding challenges the slow-and-steady model held by many linguists and
matches evidence that genetic evolution follows a similar path
18:31 01 February 2008
Public Release: 1-Feb-2008
Journal of Clinical Investigation T
cell immunity enhanced by timing of interleukin-7 therapy
A team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has found
that the timing of interleuin-7 therapy is critical for increasing the
number of killer cells that zero in on and destroy virus-infected cells.
Contact: Marulasiddappa Suresh sureshm@svm.vetmed.wisc.edu
608-265-9791 University of
Wisconsin-Madison Antiquity had morethan a monochrome palette
Norman Hammond Archaeology Correspondent
We are so used to the white purity of ancient marble sculptures that we
imagine the Greeks and Romans felt the same that white was right. New
research using strong raking light sources and beams of ultraviolet
light has shown, however, that many Classical statues were gaudily
painted in a plethora of colours. Public Release: 3-Feb-2008
Nature Neuroscience Targeting astrocytes slows disease progression in ALS
In what the researchers say could be promising news in the quest to
find a therapy to slow the progression of amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, scientists at the University of
California, San Diego School of Medicine have shown that targeting
neuronal support cells called astrocytes sharply slows disease
progression in mice.
National Institutes of Health, Johns Hopkins University, Muscular
Dystrophy Association, Uehara Memorial Foundation, Nakabayashi Trust
for ALS Research, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports Science and
Technology of Japan
Contact: Debra Kain ddkain@ucsd.edu
619-543-6163 University of California - San Diego
WORD document HERE
Public Release: 28-Jan-2008
