Public Release: 4-Feb-2008
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Researchers use new method to probe recollections in memory-impaired patients
Neuroscientists continue to debate whether or not long-term memory always depends on a region of the brain called the medial temporal lobe, which contains the brain's memory-processing center, the hippocampus. A new study of brain-damaged patients by researchers at the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine readdresses the issue using a new method to elicit more detailed long-term memories.
US Department of Veterans Affairs, NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, Metropolitan Life Foundation
Contact: Debra Kain
ddkain@ucsd.edu
619-543-6163
University of California - San Diego

Public Release: 4-Feb-2008
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
For treating advanced Parkinson's, new research points to serotonin
Studies in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease show that side effects caused by repeated use of the drug L-DOPA can be minimized by blocking the serotonin 1B receptor. The finding, reported by researchers at Rockefeller University and the Karolinska Institute, suggests that targeting the 1B receptor may provide an alternative approach for treating advanced Parkinson's disease.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Joseph Bonner
bonnerj@rockefeller.edu
212-327-8998
Rockefeller University
Public Release: 4-Feb-2008
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
Folate deficiency associated with tripling of dementia risk
Folate deficiency is associated with a tripling in the risk of developing dementia among elderly people, suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
Contact: Emma Dickinson
edickinson@bmj.com
44-020-738-36529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Public Release: 4-Feb-2008
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Resisting lung cancer recurrence
What if we could prevent cancer recurrence for years after surgery by giving simple recall injections every two or three years? This concept may no longer be a fantasy. In a clinical study published online this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, a team headed by the international Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research has shown that a vaccine against a protein found in cancer cells produces an immune response that can be boosted and strengthened with additional vaccine shots.
Contact: Sarah L. White, Ph.D.
swhite@licr.org
917-379-0398
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
Public Release: 4-Feb-2008
Astrophysical Journal Letters
Gas 'finger' points to galaxies' future
Like a fork piercing a fried egg, a giant finger of hydrogen gas is poking through our Milky Way Galaxy from outside, astronomers using CSIRO radio telescopes at Parkes and Narrabri have found. The location of the intrusion may give a crucial clue to the fate of the little galaxies the gas flows from, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds.
Contact: Andrea Wild
andrea.wild@csiro.au
CSIRO Australia
Public Release: 4-Feb-2008
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Bacterium sequenced makes rare form of chlorophyll
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and Arizona State University have sequenced the genome of a rare bacterium that harvests light energy by making an even rarer form of chlorophyll, chlorophyll d. Chlorophyll d absorbs "red edge," near infrared, long wave length light, invisible to the naked eye. In so doing, the cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina, competes with virtually no other plant or bacterium in the world for sunlight.
National Science Foundation
Contact: Robert Blankenship
blankenship@wustl.edu
314-935-7971
Washington University in St. Louis
Public Release: 4-Feb-2008
American Journal of Psychiatry
Neighborhood ethnic density associated with risk of psychosis among immigrants in the Netherlands
Researchers from the Mailman School of Public Health and The Hague, Netherlands report that immigrants who live in neighborhoods where their own ethnic group comprise a small proportion of the population are at increased risk for certain psychotic disorders. The study underscores the necessity for public health clinicians to pay attention to the mental health needs of immigrants, and highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity when treating immigrant and minority patients.
Contact: Stephanie Berger
sb2247@columbia.edu
212-305-4372
Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Public Release: 4-Feb-2008
Hepatology
Grapefruit compound may help combat hepatitis C infection
A compound that naturally occurs in grapefruit and other citrus fruits may be able to block the secretion of hepatitis C virus from infected cells, a process required to maintain chronic infection. A team of researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Engineering in Medicine report that the viral secretion required to pass on infection may be blocked by the common flavonoid naringenin.
National Institutes of Health, Shriners Hospitals for Children
Contact: Sue McGreevey
smcgreevey@partners.org
617-724-2764
Massachusetts General Hospital
Public Release: 4-Feb-2008
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Ringing endorsement: Women prefer contraceptive ring over patch
In the first study to directly compare a contraceptive vaginal ring and skin patch, more women indicated overall satisfaction with the vaginal ring, a significant majority saying they preferred it even to the pill. Using the same combination of hormones included in prescription birth control pills, these products became available in 2002 as an alternative to taking a pill every day. Ring and patch are left in place for three weeks at a time.
Organon U.S.A. Inc., Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Galen Holdings Plc.
Contact: Michele Baum
BaumMD@upmc.edu
412-647-3555
University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences
Public Release: 4-Feb-2008
BioScience
Big Mac: The whole world on your plate
A burger and fries may be the quintessential North American meal but it can also be viewed as the perfect example of humanity's increasingly varied diet, according to researchers who conducted the first ever study of the phylogenetic distribution of the plants used around the world for food.
Contact: Grady Semmens
gsemmens@ucalgary.ca
403-220-7722
University of Calgary
Well
Coping With the Caveman in the Crib Trying to teach parents the skills to communicate with and soothe tantrum-prone children.
Vital Signs
Regimens: An Herbal Extract Eases Symptoms of Heart Failure
By NICHOLAS BAKALAR
Published: February 5, 2008
In a review of 14 studies, researchers have found that the herbal supplement hawthorn extract is effective in treating symptoms of chronic heart failure.
New Food Formula: Tastes Fine, Kills Worms Kraft Foods is working on a new and unusual product line — food that is not only tasty, but kills intestinal worms.
Feel Like a Fraud? At Times, Maybe You Should Feelings of phoniness appear to alter people’s goals in unexpected ways and may also protect them against subconscious self-delusions.
Satellite Spotters Glimpse Secrets, and Tell Them Hobbyists uncover some of the deepest of the government’s secrets and share them on the Internet.
Pursuing Synthetic Life, Dazzled by Reality The most profound insights to emerge from the pursuit of synthetic life just may be about real life.
Public Release: 5-Feb-2008
JAMA
Patients at risk of adverse events within 3 months after stopping certain ACS therapy
Patients who receive the anti-platelet medication clopidogrel following an acute coronary syndrome (such as heart attack) appear to be at greater risk of a heart attack or death in the first 90 days after stopping clopidogrel treatment, according to a study in the Feb. 6 issue of JAMA.
Contact: Christina White
303-393-5205
JAMA and Archives Journals
Public Release: 5-Feb-2008
Journal of Neuroscience
Chronic pain harms the brain
People with unrelenting pain are often depressed, anxious and have difficulty making simple decisions. Northwestern University researchers have identified a clue that may explain how suffering long-term pain could trigger these other pain-related symptoms. Researchers found that in people with chronic pain, a front region of the cortex associated with emotion fails to deactivate when it should. It's stuck on full throttle, wearing out neurons and altering their connections.
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Contact: Marla Paul
Marla-Paul@northwestern.edu
312-503-8928
Northwestern University
Public Release: 5-Feb-2008
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
DNA 'barcode' identified for plants
A 'barcode' gene that can be used to distinguish between the majority of plant species on Earth has been identified by scientists who publish their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal today (Monday Feb. 4 2008).
Defra Darwin Initiative, Universities of Johannesburg and Costa Rica, South African National Research Foundation, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Royal Society
Contact: Danielle Reeves
danielle.reeves@imperial.ac.uk
44-020-759-42198
Imperial College London
Public Release: 5-Feb-2008
Molecular Psychiatry
Chemical signature of manic depression discovered by scientists
People with manic depression have a distinct chemical signature in their brains, according to a new study. The research, published today in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, may also indicate how the mood stabilisers used to treat the disorder counteract the changes in the brain that it appears to cause.
Contact: Abigail Smith
abigail.smith@imperial.ac.uk
44-020-759-46701
Imperial College London
Public Release: 5-Feb-2008
Seeing our spouses more negatively might be a positive
While our relationships with children and best friends tend to become less negative as we age, we're more likely to see our spouses as irritating and demanding.
Contact: Diane Swanbrow
swanbrow@umich.edu
734-647-9069
University of Michigan
Public Release: 5-Feb-2008
BMC Biology
Avian origins: new analysis confirms ancient beginnings
Did modern birds originate around the time of the dinosaurs' demise, or have they been around far longer?
National Science Foundation
Contact: Nancy Ross-Flanigan
rossflan@umich.edu
734-647-1853
University of Michigan
Nature
Imaging study reveals rapid formation of Alzheimer's-associated plaques
The amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients may form much more rapidly than previously expected. Using an advanced microscopic imaging technique to examine brain tissue in mouse models of the devastating neurological disorder, researchers from the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease find that plaques can develop in as little as a day and that Alzheimer's-associated neuronal changes appear soon afterwards.
National Institutes of Health, Alzheimer's Association
Contact: Sue McGreevey
smcgreevey@partners.org
617-724-2764
Massachusetts General Hospital
Public Release: 6-Feb-2008
Genes & Development
Gene plays 'Jekyll and Hyde' in brain cancer
Researchers have found that a particular gene is central to the brain cancer glioblastoma and will either fight the tumor or, conversely, help the tumor advance, depending on the tumor's genetic makeup.
Stewart Trust, Armenise-Harvard Foundation, Carolyn and Peter Lynch Research Fund
Contact: David Cameron
david_cameron@hms.harvard.edu
617-432-0441
Harvard Medical School
Genetic Vaccines and Therapy
Tattooing improves response to DNA vaccine
A tattoo can be more than just a fashion statement -- it has potential medical value, according to an article published in the online open access journal, Genetic Vaccines and Therapy.
Contact: Charlotte Webber
press@biomedcentral.com
44-020-763-19980
BioMed Central
Public Release: 6-Feb-2008
Proceedings of the Royal Society B
Bonn scientists simulate dinosaur digestion in the lab
Scientists from the University of Bonn are researching which plants giant dinosaurs could have lived off more than 100 million years ago. Their results have now been published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Contact: Juergen Hummel
Jhum@itw.uni-bonn.de
49-022-873-2281
University of Bonn
Public Release: 6-Feb-2008
Cell Metabolism
Europe's most common genetic disease is a liver disorder
The exact origin of the genetic iron overload disorder hereditary hemochromatosis has remained elusive. In a joint effort, researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and the University of Heidelberg, Germany, have now discovered that HH is a liver disease.
Contact: Anna-Lynn Wegener
wegener@embl.de
49-622-138-7452
European Molecular Biology Laboratory
Public Release: 6-Feb-2008
For Barnacles, Sex Is a Real Stretch
By Charles Q. Choi, Special to LiveScience
posted: 06 February 2008
Barnacles can radically change the size and shape of their penises to fight the waves and have sex.
Journal of Neuroscience
More brain research suggests "use it or lose it"
Queensland Brain Institute scientists have found another important clue to why nerve cells die in neurodegenerative diseases, based on studies of the developing brain.
Contact: Elizabeth Coulson
communications@uq.edu.au
61-733-666-392
Research Australia
Galaxy without dark matter puzzles astronomers 06:59 06 February 2008
Female reptile spreads labour over nine days Did GSK trial data mask Paxil suicide risk? Updated 10:50 08 February 2008
'Astronomical unit' may need to be redefined 20:33 06 February 2008
Diabetes Study Partially Halted After Deaths A surprise finding in a major federal study calls into question a long-held tenet of diabetes care.
Public Release: 7-Feb-2008
Nature
Scientists rebuild ancient proteins to reveal primordial Earth's temperature
Researchers reconstruct proteins from ancient bacteria to measure the Earth's temperature over the ages. The scientists determined that the Earth endured a massive cooling period between 500 million and 3.5 billion years ago.
Contact: Ann Griswold
anngriswold@gmail.com
352-273-5819
University of Florida
Journal of Neuroscience
What gives us fingertip dexterity?
Quickly moving your fingertips to tap or press a surface is essential for everyday life to, say, pick up small objects, use a BlackBerry or an iPhone. But researchers at the University of Southern California say that this seemingly trivial action is the result of a complex neuro-motor-mechanical process orchestrated with precision timing by the brain, nervous system and muscles of the hand.
National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Whitaker Foundation
Contact: Diane Ainsworth
dainswor@usc.edu
213-821-5808
University of Southern California
Public Release: 7-Feb-2008
Asian women at risk for arterial defect
A seemingly random arterial abnormality that can cause heart attack and sudden death in adults with no previous symptoms may not be so random after all.
Hospital Group Twente
Contact: Amy Molnar
medicalnews@bos.blackwellpublishing.net
201-748-8844
Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Knee device makes phone charging a walk in the park
19:00 07 February 2008
Public Release: 8-Feb-2008
Psychological Science
Misery is not miserly: New study finds why even momentary sadness increases spending
How you are feeling has an impact on your routine economic transactions, whether you're aware of this effect or not. In a new study that links contemporary science with the classic philosophy of William James, a research team finds that people feeling sad and self-focused spend more money to acquire the same commodities than those in a neutral emotional state.
Contact: Doug Gavel
doug_gavel@harvard.edu
617-495-1115
Association for Psychological Science
Public Release: 8-Feb-2008
Science
Computer simulations strongly support new theory of Earth's core
Swedish researchers present in today's Web edition of the journal Science evidence that their theory about the core of the earth is correct. Among other applications, the findings may be of significance for our understanding of the cooling down of the Earth, and of the stability of the Earth's magnetic field.
Contact: Boerje Johansson
borje.johansson@fysik.uu.se
46-070-417-5452
Uppsala University
Public Release: 8-Feb-2008
Doctors will soon be able to feel organs via a display screen
With the aid of computerized image analysis, it may be possible in the future for radiologists to feel images with the help of a three-dimensional mouse. Erik Vidholm at Uppsala University has been involved in developing the new technology, which makes it easier to diagnose and plan the treatment of cancer, for instance.
Contact: Johanna Blomqvist
johanna.blomqvist@uadm.uu.se
46-704-250-864
Uppsala University
Public Release: 8-Feb-2008
Study confirms that low-calorie sweeteners are helpful in weight control
A recent review of scientific literature concluded that low-calorie (or no-calorie) sweeteners may be helpful in resolving the obesity problem. The study by Bellisle and Drewnowski, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, evaluated a variety of laboratory, clinical and epidemiological studies on low-calorie sweeteners, energy density and satiety.
Contact: Meagan Stangle
mstangle@kellencompany.com
404-252-3663
Kellen Communications
Public Release: 10-Feb-2008
Behavioral Neuroscience
Artificial sweeteners linked to weight gain
Want to lose weight? It might help to pour that diet soda down the drain. Researchers have laboratory evidence that the widespread use of no-calorie sweeteners may actually make it harder for people to control their intake and body weight. The findings appear in the February issue of Behavioral Neuroscience, which is published by the American Psychological Association
Contact: Pam Willenz
public.affairs@apa.org
202-336-5700
American Psychological Association
Public Release: 8-Feb-2008
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Moss protein plays role in Alzheimer's disease
Preventing Alzheimer's from developing is a goal of Raphael Kopan, Ph.D., professor of molecular biology and pharmacology at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. The moss plant studied in the laboratory of Ralph S. Quatrano, Ph.D., Spencer T. Olin Professor of biology, might inch Kopan toward that goal. Through collaboration, the researchers have found that a gene in moss is also structurally conserved in AD and has similar functions.
Contact: Tony Fitzpatrick
tony_fitzpatrick@wustl.edu
314-935-5272
Washington University in St. Louis
Public Release: 9-Feb-2008
Angewandte Chemie
Iron banded worms drying out of blood could be linked to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's
Researchers at the University of Warwick and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur have discovered that the mechanism that we rely on to transport iron safely through our blood can collapse into a state which grows long worm-like "fibrils" banded by lines of iron rust. This process could provide the first insight into how iron gets deposited in the brain to cause some forms of Parkinson's & Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases.
Contact: Peter Sadler
p.j.sadler@warwick.ac.uk
44-024-765-23653
University of Warwick
Public Release: 11-Feb-2008
Cancer
Review of online breast cancer information encourages healthy skepticism for consumers
In an extended analysis of Web pages dedicated to disseminating breast cancer information, researchers at two University of Texas institutions in the Houston have determined that while most breast cancer data found online was accurate, one in 20 breast cancer Web pages featured inaccuracies and sites displaying complementary and alternative medicine were 15 times more likely to contain false or misleading health information.
Contact: Laura Sussman
lsussman@mdanderson.org
713-745-2457
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Robot glider harvests ocean heat
By Jonathan Fildes
Science and technology reporter, BBC News
A sea-going robotic glider that harvests heat energy from the ocean has been tested by US scientists.