Public Release: 20-Apr-2008
Nature Medicine
Many African-Americans have a gene that prolongs life after heart failure
About 40 percent of African-Americans have a genetic variant that can protect them after heart failure and prolong their lives, according to research conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and collaborating institutions. The new study offers a reason why beta blockers don't appear to benefit some African-Americans.
NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Contact: Gwen Ericson
ericsong@wustl.edu
314-286-0141
Washington University School of Medicine
Public Release: 21-Apr-2008
Archives of Dermatology
Most lethal melanomas are on scalp and neck
People with scalp or neck melanomas die at nearly twice the rate of people with melanoma elsewhere on the body, including the face or ears, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found.
Contact: Patric Lane
patric_lane@unc.edu
919-962-8596
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Public Release: 21-Apr-2008
PLoS Medicine
Life expectancy worsening or stagnating for large segment of the US population
Overall life expectancy in the US increased more than seven years for men and more than six years for women between 1960 and 2000. Now, a new, long-term study of mortality trends in U.S. counties over the same four decades by Harvard School of Public Health and University of Washington researchers reports a troubling finding: These gains are not reaching many parts of the country; rather, the life expectancy of a significant segment of the population is declining or at best stagnating.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Association of Schools of Public Health
Contact: Todd Datz
tdatz@hsph.harvard.edu
617-432-3952
Harvard School of Public Health
Public Release: 21-Apr-2008
Archives of Surgery
US sees decline in number of general surgeons
The number of general surgeons per 100,000 Americans has declined by more than 25 percent during the past 25 years, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Contact: Clare Hagerty
206-685-1323
JAMA and Archives Journals
Public Release: 21-Apr-2008
Journal of Biology
Chemotherapy causes delayed severe neural damage
Cancer treatment with chemotherapeutic agents is often associated with delayed adverse neurological consequences -- an occurrence often referred to as "chemobrain" -- that may compromise the quality of life of a proportion of cancer survivors. Now, research published in the open access Journal of Biology demonstrates that treatment with a single chemotherapeutic agent, 5-fluorouracil, by itself is sufficient to cause a syndrome of delayed degeneration in the central nervous system.
Contact: Charlotte Webber
charlotte.webber@biomedcentral.com
44-020-763-19980
BioMed Central
Public Release: 21-Apr-2008
FASEB Journal
Vitamin D in brain function
Scientists at Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland ask whether there is convincing biological or behavioral evidence linking vitamin D deficiency to brain dysfunction and concluded that there is ample biological evidence to suggest an important role for vitamin D in brain development and function, and that supplementation for groups chronically low in vitamin D is warranted.
Contact: Venita Robinson
vrobinson@mail.cho.org
510-428-3069
Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland
Public Release: 21-Apr-2008
Usenix Conference on File and Storage Technologies
Computer scientists develop solutions for long-term storage of digital data
Although the digital age is well under way, one crucial detail remains to be worked out -- how to store vast amounts of digital information in a way that allows future generations to recover it.
Contact: Tim Stephens
stephens@ucsc.edu
831-459-2495
University of California - Santa Cruz
Public Release: 21-Apr-2008
Psychological Science
Brain reacts to fairness as it does to money and chocolate
The human brain responds to being treated fairly the same way it responds to winning money and eating chocolate, UCLA scientists report.
Contact: Stuart Wolpert
swolpert@support.ucla.edu
310-206-0511
University of California - Los Angeles
Complete 'cookbook' for running a genome published
A major part of the epigenome of a plant has been sequenced, allowing geneticists to study how organisms control their genes
14:00 21 April 200
Stephen Hawking calls for Moon and Mars colonies
At a lecture honouring NASA, the eminent physicist calls for a big investment in human spaceflight and ponders intelligent life in the universe
23:56 21 April 2008
Turkish site a Neolithic 'supernova'
Washington Times
Terracotta army has egg on its face
Monday, 21 April 2008 Jennifer Viegas
Discovery News
China's terracotta army, a collection of 7000 soldier and horse figures in the mausoleum of the country's first emperor, was covered with beaten egg when it was made, scientists say.
Public Release: 22-Apr-2008
Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry
Synchrotron light unveils oil in ancient Buddhist paintings from Bamiyan
The world was in shock when in 2001 the Talibans destroyed two ancient Buddha statues in Afghanistan. Behind them, there are caves decorated with precious paintings from 5th to 9th century A.D. The caves also suffered from destruction but today they have become the source of a major discovery. Scientists have proved, thanks to experiments at the ESRF, that the paintings were made of oil, hundreds of years before the technique was "invented" in Europe.
Contact: Montserrat Capellas
press@esrf.fr
33-676-655-180
European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
Public Release: 22-Apr-2008
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
A simplified method of giving rabies vaccine
A simplified economical method of giving rabies vaccine is just as effective as the expensive standard vaccine regimen at stimulating anti-rabies antibodies. A clinical trial in healthy volunteers has found that a simpler and cheaper way of using rabies vaccines proved to be just as effective as the current most widely used method at stimulating antibodies against rabies. The trial is published in this week's PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Contact: Mary Kohut
Press@plos.org
415-568-3457
Public Library of Science
Public Release: 22-Apr-2008
Link between ozone air pollution and premature death confirmed
Short-term exposure to current levels of ozone in many areas is likely to contribute to premature deaths, says a new National Research Council report, which adds that the evidence is strong enough that the US Environmental Protection Agency should include ozone-related mortality in health-benefit analyses related to future ozone standards.
Contact: Jennifer Walsh
news@nas.edu
202-334-2138
The National Academies
Public Release: 22-Apr-2008
PLoS ONE
Why fruit-eating bats eat dirt
In a study published in the online journal PLoS ONE, researchers from the Berlin Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Boston University and Cornell University, found evidence that fruit-eating bats take up large amounts of mineral rich water and clay from so-called mineral licks to detoxify the secondary plant compounds they ingest in fruits.
Contact: Dr. Christian Voigt
voigt@izw-berlin.de
49-305-168-517
Public Library of Science
Public Release: 22-Apr-2008
Current Biology
Scientists clarify a mechanism of epigenetic inheritance
Although letters representing the three billion pairs of molecules that form the "rungs" of the helical DNA "ladder" are routinely called the human "genetic code," the DNA they comprise transmits traits across generations in a variety of ways, not all of which depend on the sequence of letters in the code.
Contact: Jim Bono
bono@cshl.edu
516-367-8455
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Really?
The Claim: During a Seizure, You Can Swallow Your Tongue
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
One problem with medical myths is that they can sometimes lead well-meaning people to do ill-advised things.
Personal Health
Hypertension: In Retreat, but Hardly Vanquished
By JANE E. BRODY
The concept of a normal blood pressure has fallen strikingly as doctors learn what it takes to preserve good health.
PETA’s Latest Tactic: $1 Million for Fake Meat
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants to pay a million dollars for fake meat ― even if it has caused a “near civil war” within the organization.
By JOHN SCHWARTZ
Published: April 21, 2008
Vital Signs
Nostrums: Testosterone and Sex Drive in Women
Women who spray testosterone on their stomach to raise their sex drive may not see much benefit ― unless they also want to grow hair on their belly.
By ERIC NAGOURNEY
Published: April 22, 2008
At 60, He Learned to Sing So He Could Learn to Talk
By KAREN BARROW
Melodic intonation therapy can help some stroke patients regain their ability to communicate.
The Body in Depth
By JOHN SCHWARTZ

For more than 17 years, David L. Bassett was engaged in creating a painstaking and detailed set of images of the human body, inside and out. In 3-D.
Breakfast cereals boost chances of conceiving boys
Paint the nursery blue if you regularly eat porridge for breakfast – a survey finds that cereals boost women's chances of producing male babies
00:01 23 April 2008
'Flammable ice' could be mined for fuel
A test in the Canadian tundra shows that extracting methane hydrates to burn as fuel may soon be possible on industrial scales
10:31 23 April 2008
Public Release: 23-Apr-2008
Journal of Human Evolution
Early parents didn't stand for weighty kids
Scientists investigating the reasons why early humans -- the so-called hominins -- began walking upright say it's unlikely that the need to carry children was a factor, as has previously been suggested.
Natural Environment Research Council
Contact: Aeron Haworth
aeron.haworth@manchester.ac.uk
44-161-275-8383
University of Manchester
Public Release: 23-Apr-2008
Geology
Glaciers reveal Martian climate has been recently active
Brown University researchers have found compelling evidence of thick, recurring glaciers on Mars, a discovery that suggests that the Red Planet's climate was much more dynamic than previously believed -- and could change again. Results are published on the cover of Geology magazine.
NASA, National Science Foundation
Contact: Richard Lewis
richard_lewis@brown.edu
401-863-3766
Brown University
Public Release: 23-Apr-2008
BMC Biology
Medical College researchers find dinosaur clues in fat
A team of researchers at New York Medical College has discovered why birds, unlike mammals, lack a tissue that is specialized to generate heat. A paper published April 21, 2008 in the online peer-reviewed journal BMC Biology contains the surprising implication that the same lack of heat-generating tissue may have contributed to the extinction of dinosaurs.
Contact: Donna Moriarty
donna_moriarty@nymc.edu
914-594-4536
New York Medical College
Public Release: 23-Apr-2008
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
MU psychologists demonstrate simplicity of working memory
A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but humans may have even less to work with than previously thought. University of Missouri researchers found that the average person can keep just three or four things in their "working memory" or conscious mind at one time. This finding may lead to better ways to assess and help people with attention-deficit and focus difficulties, improve classroom performance and enhance test scores.
Contact: Bryan E. Jones
jonesbry@missouri.edu
573-882-9144
University of Missouri-Columbia
China down to 12 days of coal stocks
Supplies are shrinking and the world's fastest growing economy faces electricity shortages
18:18 23 April 2008
Public Release: 24-Apr-2008
New nanotech products hitting the market at the rate of 3-4 per week
New nanotechnology consumer products are coming on the market at the rate of 3-4 per week, a finding based on the latest update to the nanotechnology consumer product inventory maintained by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies. The number of consumer products using nanotechnology has grown from 212 to 609 since PEN launched the world's first online inventory of manufacturer-identified nanotech goods in March 2006.
Contact: Alex Parlini
alex.parlini@wilsoncenter.org
301-768-8366
Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies
Does the Earth's magnetic field cause suicides?
A growing number of studies have found a link between peaks in geomagnetism and either suicide rates or depression
13:39 24 April 200
Dull jobs really do numb the mind
Boring jobs turn our mind to autopilot, say scientists - and it means we can seriously mess up some simple tasks.
Public Release: 24-Apr-2008
Genetic sequencing of protein from T. rex bone confirms dinosaurs' link to birds
Scientists have put more meat on the theory that dinosaurs' closest living relatives are modern-day birds.
Contact: Cheryl Dybas
cdybas@nsf.gov
703-292-7734
National Science Foundation
Early man near vanished in Africa
Jerusalem Post
Alexander the Great's 'Crown,' Shield Discovered?
National Geographic
Public Release: 25-Apr-2008
American Occupational Therapy Association
Autistic mannerisms reduced by sensory treatment
A new study from Temple University researchers found that children with autistic spectrum disorders who underwent sensory integration therapy exhibited fewer autistic mannerisms compared to children who received standard treatments. Such mannerisms, including repetitive hand movements or actions, making noises, jumping or having highly restricted interests, often interfere with paying attention and learning.
Autism Speaks
Contact: Eryn Jelesiewicz
dobeck@temple.edu
215-707-0730
Temple University
Public Release: 25-Apr-2008
Journal of Infectious Diseases
Study shows common vitamin and other micronutrient supplements reduce risks of TB recurrence
New findings show a link between micronutrient supplementation and reduced risk of recurrence during tuberculosis chemotherapy, according to a study published in the June 1 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online.
Contact: Steve Baragona
sbaragona@idsociety.org
703-299-0412
Infectious Diseases Society of America
Happy spamiversary! Spam reaches 30
A bulk advertising message sent on the precursor to the internet 30 years ago spawned a phenomenon that now accounts for 90% of all email
15:00 25 April 2008
Public Release: 25-Apr-2008
Midwest Studies in Philosophy
Surprising language abilities in children with autism
What began as an informal presentation by a clinical linguist to a group of philosophers, has led to some surprising discoveries about the communicative language abilities of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Contact: Ann Hutchison
ahutch2@uwo.ca
519-661-2111 x85468
University of Western Ontario

Public Release: 27-Apr-2008
FEBS Journal
Nitric oxide regulates plants as well as people
Nitric oxide has emerged as an important signaling molecule in plants -- as in mammals, including people. In studies of a tropical medicinal herb as a model plant, researchers have found that nitric oxide targets a number of proteins and enzymes in plants.
Contact: Melanie Thomson
melanie.thomson@wiley.com
01-865-476-270
Wiley-Blackwell
Public Release: 27-Apr-2008
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
New England Journal of Medicine
Gene therapy improves vision in patients with congenital retinal disease
In a clinical trial at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, researchers from The University of Pennsylvania have used gene therapy to safely restore vision in three young adults with a rare form of congenital blindness -- Leber congenital amaurosis. Although the patients have not achieved normal eyesight, the preliminary results set the stage for further studies of an innovative treatment for this and possibly other retinal diseases.
Contact: Joey Marie McCool
McCool@email.chop.edu
215-258-6735
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
The Archimedes Codex Unpeeled By Modern Technological Sleuthing
The Christian Science Monitor
Emperor Nero's gate discovered in Cologne
Expatica