SciNews20080512

Unboxed: Can You Become a Creature of New Habits?
Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits.
By JANET RAE-DUPREE
Published: May 4, 2008
Public Release: 5-May-2008
Neurology
Ibuprofen linked to reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease
Long-term use of ibuprofen and other drugs commonly used for aches and pains was associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the May 6, 2008, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Previous studies have shown conflicting results, but this is the longest study of its kind.
Contact: Rachel Seroka
rseroka@aan.com
651-695-2738
American Academy of Neurology
Public Release: 5-May-2008
Neurology
Short arms and legs linked to risk of dementia
People with shorter arms and legs may be at a higher risk for developing dementia later in life compared to people with longer arms and legs, according to a study published in the May 6, 2008, bonus issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers say the association between short limbs and dementia risk may be due to poor nutrition in early life, which can affect limb growth.
Contact: Rachel Seroka
rseroka@aan.com
651-695-2738
American Academy of Neurology
Public Release: 5-May-2008
Pediatrics
Mental disorders in parents linked to autism in children
Parents of children with autism were roughly twice as likely to have been hospitalized for a mental disorder, such as schizophrenia, than parents of other children, according to an analysis of Swedish birth and hospital records by a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researcher and colleagues in the US and Europe.
Contact: Patric Lane
patric_lane@unc.edu
919-962-8596
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Public Release: 5-May-2008
Archives of General Psychiatry
Low blood levels of vitamin D may be associated with depression in older adults
Older adults with low blood levels of vitamin D and high blood levels of a hormone secreted by the parathyroid glands may have a higher risk of depression, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Contact: Witte J. G. Hoogendijk, M.D., Ph.D.,
witteh@ggzba.nl
JAMA and Archives Journals
Public Release: 5-May-2008
Geology
65-million-year-old asteroid impact triggered a global hail of carbon beads
The asteroid presumed to have wiped out the dinosaurs struck the Earth with such force that carbon deep in the Earth's crust liquefied, rocketed skyward, and formed tiny airborne beads that blanketed the planet, say scientists from the US, UK, Italy, and New Zealand in this month's Geology.
Geological Society of America
Contact: David Bricker
brickerd@indiana.edu
812-856-9035
Indiana University
Public Release: 6-May-2008
American Broncho-Esophagological Association
Annals of Otology, Rhinology, & Laryngology
MGH researchers report successful new laser treatment for vocal-cord cancer
An innovative laser treatment for early vocal-cord cancer, developed at Massachusetts General Hospital, successfully restores patients' voices without radiotherapy or traditional surgery, which can permanently damage vocal quality.
Eugene B. Casey Foundation, Institute of Laryngology and Voice Restoration
Contact: Sue McGreevey
smcgreevey@partners.org
617-724-2764
Massachusetts General Hospital
Public Release: 6-May-2008
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
The cooperative view: New evidence suggests a symbiogenetic origin for the centrosome
Two scientists who relocated to the MBL in Woods Hole after their New Orleans laboratory was disrupted by Hurricane Katrina publish their study of centrosomal RNAs in this week's PNAS Online Early Edition.
National Institutes of Health, Society for Developmental Biology
Contact: Diana Kenney
dkenney@mbl.edu
508-289-7139
Marine Biological Laboratory
Researchers Find Quick Way to Make Human Monoclonal Antibodies against Flu
Human monoclonal antibodies(mAbs) can be rapidly produced in the lab. Using cells drawn from volunteers inoculated with seasonal influenza vaccine, investigators made influenza-specific mAbs in just a few weeks rather than the typical two to three months. The new technique could be used to rapidly create mAbs for a range of uses.
April 30, 2008
Redefining Disease, Genes and All
By ANDREW POLLACK
A growing band of researchers is trying to redefine how diseases are classified ― by looking at their genetic underpinnings.
  Some Diabetics Don’t Have What They Thought They Had
    * Interactive Mapping the Human Diseaseome
Researchers created a map linking different diseases to the genes they have in common.
Evidence a High-Fat Diet Works to Treat Epilepsy
By ALIYAH BARUCHIN
A new study indicates that a high-fat diet has proved effective in reducing seizures in children whose epilepsy does not respond to medication.
    * Health Guide: Epilepsy »
Mind
I’m Not Lying, I’m Telling a Future Truth. Really.
By BENEDICT CAREY
Exaggeration, it seems, can be part of a plan for self-improvement.
Researchers Seek to Demystify the Metabolic Magic of Sled Dogs
By DOUGLAS ROBSON
Scientists are studying sled dogs that run the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in an attempt to understand why the dogs are “fatigue-proof.”
Public Release: 6-May-2008
Cell Metabolism
Hunger hormone: Makes food more attractive
A new brain-imaging study by researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University reveals that ghrelin -- a stomach hormone, acts on specific regions of the brain to enhance our response to food related cues and eating for pleasure. This study, published in the May 7 issue of Cell Metabolism, is critical to advance understanding and treating obesity, a condition affecting millions worldwide.
Contact: Anita Kar
anita.kar@mcgill.ca
514-398-3376
Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital
Public Release: 6-May-2008
Cardiovascular Research
Naturally-occuring protein may be effective in limiting heart attack injury and restoring function
Medical College of Wisconsin researchers in Milwaukee have shown for the first time that thrombopoietin, a naturally occurring protein being developed as a pharmaceutical to increase platelet count in cancer patients during chemotherapy, can also protect the heart against injury during a heart attack. The study, led by John E. Baker PhD, professor of surgery in the division of cardiothoracic surgery, was published in the January 2008 issue of Cardiovascular Research. The importance of these findings was underscored in an accompanying editorial.
NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Contact: Toranj Marphetia
toranj@mcw.edu
414-456-4744
Medical College of Wisconsin
Public Release: 6-May-2008
Science
Killer competition: Neurons duke it out for survival
The developing nervous system makes far more nerve cells than are needed to ensure target organs and tissues are properly connected to the nervous system. As nerves connect to target organs, they somehow compete with each other resulting in some living and some dying. Now, using a combination of computer modeling and molecular biology, neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered how the target tissue helps newly connected peripheral nerve cells strengthen their connections and kill neighboring nerves.
National Institutes of Health, Woodrow Wilson Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Contact: Audrey Huang
audrey@jhmi.edu
410-614-5105
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Public Release: 6-May-2008
Advanced Materials
UC San Diego researchers target tumors with tiny 'nanoworms'
Scientists at USD, UCSB and MIT have developed nanometer-sized "nanoworms."
Contact: Kim McDonald
kimmcdonald@ucsd.edu
858-534-7572
University of California - San Diego
Platypus Looks Strange on the Inside Too
By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD
The platypus genome is an amalgam of genes reflecting significant branching in evolution, scientists reported.
Public Release: 7-May-2008
Nature
Biodiversity -- it's in the water
What if hydrology is more important for predicting biodiversity than biology? Research published in the May 8 issue of the journal Nature challenges current thinking about biodiversity, and opens up new avenues for predicting how climate change or human activity may affect biodiversity patterns.
James S. McDonnell Foundation
Contact: Mary Parlange
mary.parlange@epfl.ch
41-216-937-022
Ecole Polytechnique F馘駻ale de Lausanne
Public Release: 7-May-2008
First-of-its-kind 14-country study ranks consumers according to environmental behavior
National Geographic and the international polling firm GlobeScan will unveil results of a new mechanism for measuring and comparing consumer behavior concerning the environment. Fourteen thousand consumers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Spain and the United States were polled in this first-ever study of environmentally sustainable consumption and behavior. The study will be conducted annually and will assess progress people are making to protect the environment.
National Geographic Society
Contact: Sarah Clark
sclark@ngs.org
202-828-5664
National Geographic Society
Public Release: 7-May-2008
Socrates in the classroom develops students' thinking and changes the distribution of power
When students have the opportunity to participate in "Socratic seminars" on a regular basis, a different classroom culture evolves. The students collaborate more and more voices are heard. The students develop their thinking skills in a cooperative and investigative atmosphere. This is shown in a new dissertation in Pedagogy by Ann S. Pihlgren at the Stockholm University in Sweden.
Contact: Jonas Åblad
jonas.ablad@kommunikation.su.se
Swedish Research Council
Public Release: 7-May-2008
Angewandte Chemie International
Power from formic acid
Matthias Beller and his team at the Leibniz Institute of Catalysis in Rostock have succeeded in the controlled extraction of hydrogen from formic acid without the need for a high-temperature reforming process. This room-temperature hydrogen source can be directly introduced into fuel cells.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Federal Government of Germany, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, FCI
Contact: Matthias Beller
Matthias.Beller@catalysis.de
49-381-128-1113
Wiley-Blackwell
Public Release: 7-May-2008
Nitrates in vegetables protect against gastric ulcers
Fruits and vegetables that are rich in nitrates protect the stomach from damage. This takes place through conversion of nitrates into nitrites by the bacteria in the oral cavity and subsequent transformation into biologically active nitric oxide in the stomach. The Swedish researcher Joel Petersson has described the process, which also means that antibacterial mouthwashes can be harmful for the stomach.
Contact: Joel Petersson
Joel.Petersson@mcb.uu.se
46-070-418-5375
Uppsala University
Archaeologists uncover caveman bling in Morocco
Brisbane Times
Sea creatures had a thing for bling
Fossilised sea creatures have been found that coated themselves in tiny diamonds created in the asteroid impact that killed off the dinosaurs
09:50 08 May 2008
Flowers 'wave' at passing insects
Flowers "wave" at passing insects to get their attention and increase chances of pollination, scientists find.
Public Release: 8-May-2008
Science
New evidence from earliest known human settlement in the Americas
New evidence from the Monte Verde archaeological site in southern Chile confirms its status as the earliest known human settlement in the Americas and provides additional support for the theory that one early migration route followed the Pacific Coast more than 14,000 years ago.
National Science Foundation, Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Cientifico y Tecnológica, ational Geographic Society, Universidad de Chile
Contact: David F. Salisbury
david.salisbury@vanderbilt.edu
615-343-6803
Vanderbilt University
Public Release: 8-May-2008
Molecular Cell
Previously unseen switch regulates breast cancer response to estrogen
A tiny modification called methylation on estrogen receptors prolongs the life of these growth-driving molecules in breast cancer cells. Most breast cancers contain estrogen receptors, which enable them to grow in the presence of the hormone estrogen. Their presence can determine whether tumors will respond to the estrogen-blocking drug tamoxifen. The finding will help researchers sort out how mutations change the estrogen receptor's function and allow some breast cancers to resist tamoxifen.
National Institutes of Health, American Cancer Society
Contact: Vince Dollard
vdollar@emory.edu
404-778-4580
Emory University
Public Release: 8-May-2008
Biological Psychiatry
Do antidepressants enhance immune function?
Infection with human immunodeficiency virus, which leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is an epidemic of global concern.
Contact: Jayne Dawkins
ja.dawkins@elsevier.com
215-239-3674
Elsevier
Public Release: 8-May-2008
Oncogene
New cancer gene found
Researchers at the OU Cancer Institute have identified a new gene that causes cancer. The ground-breaking research appears in Nature's cancer journal Oncogene.
National Institutes of Health, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
Contact: Diane Clay
diane-clay@ouhsc.edu
405-271-2323
University of Oklahoma
Public Release: 8-May-2008
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Hopkins researchers discover new link to schizophrenia
Neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered that mice lacking an enzyme that contributes to Alzheimer disease exhibit a number of schizophrenia-like behaviors. The finding raises the possibility that this enzyme may participate in the development of schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders and therefore may provide a new target for developing therapies.
National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer's Association, Adler Foundation, Ilanna Starr Scholar Fund, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation
Contact: Audrey Huang
audrey@jhmi.edu
410-614-5105
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Public Release: 8-May-2008
Current Biology
What's bugging locusts?
Since ancient times, locust plagues have been viewed as one of the most spectacular events in nature. In seemingly spontaneous fashion, as many as 10 billion critters can suddenly swarm the air and carpet the ground, blazing destructive paths that bring starvation and economic ruin. What makes them do it? In a word, cannibalism.
Princeton University, Royal Society of London, Australian Research Council, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research CouncilContact: Kitta MacPherson
kittamac@princeton.edu
609-258-5729
Princeton University
Public Release: 8-May-2008
Arthritis Care and Research
Cane use may reduce risk of knee osteoarthritis progression
A common, incurable joint disease, osteoarthritis is the leading cause of disability in elderly people.
Contact: Sean Wagner
swagner@wiley.com
781-388-8550
Wiley-Blackwell
Early whales got the bends
Several different whale fossils show signs of decompression syndrome – the finding could revise the evolutionary history of deep diving
18:08 08 May 2008
Shift From Savannah to Sahara Was Gradual, Research Suggests
By KENNETH CHANG
By analyzing thousands of layers of sediment in a core drilled from the bottom of a lake, a team of scientists has reconstructed the climate of northern Africa.
Public Release: 9-May-2008
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Researchers uncover mechanism of action of antibiotic able to reduce neuronal cell death in brain
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have discovered how an antibiotic works to modulate the activity of a neurotransmitter that regulates brain functions, which eventually could lead to therapies to treat Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, epilepsy, stroke, dementia and malignant gliomas.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Sathy Achia Abraham
sbachia@vcu.edu
804-827-0890
Virginia Commonwealth University
Treatment hope for killer pregnancy condition
Pre-eclampsia, a condition that kills thousands of women and babies every year, may be treatable with a chemical found naturally in the body
18:00 11 May 2008
Why Superstition Is Logical
By John Tierney