Public Release: 26-May-2008
Journal of American College of Cardiology
Cocoa could be a healthy treat for diabetic patients
For people with diabetes, sipping a mug of steaming, flavorful cocoa may seem a guilty pleasure. But new research suggests that indulging a craving for cocoa can actually help blood vessels to function better and might soon be considered part of a healthy diet for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Contact: Amanda Jekowsky
ajekowsk@acc.org
202-375-6645
American College of Cardiology
Public Release: 26-May-2008
Archives of Internal Medicine
Short-term use of antipsychotics in older adults with dementia linked to serious adverse events
Older adults with dementia who receive short-term courses of antipsychotic medications are more likely to be hospitalized or die than those who do not take the drugs, according to a report in the May 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Contact: Kristine Galka
416-480-4780
JAMA and Archives Journals
Public Release: 26-May-2008
Gastroenterology
To fight the cancer before the tumor grows
Researchers in Heidelberg have discovered a new strategy for an immunization against certain forms of cancer. They have determined that immune cells react strongly to the modified proteins in tumor cells in which a DNA repair defect has occurred. It is estimated that this repair defect is present in some 15 percent of all tumors.
Contact: Dr. Annette Tuffs
annette.tuffs@med.uni-heidelberg.de
49-622-156-4536
University Hospital Heidelberg
Public Release: 27-May-2008
PLoS Medicine
Childhood lead exposure associated with criminal behavior in adulthood
New research from the University of Cincinnati reports the first evidence of a direct link between prenatal and early-childhood lead exposure an increased risk for criminal behavior later in life. Based on long-term data from a childhood lead study in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kim Dietrich, Ph.D., and his team have determined that elevated prenatal and postnatal blood-lead concentrations are associated with higher rates of criminal arrest in adulthood.
NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, US Environmental Protection Agency
Contact: Amanda Harper
amanda.harper@uc.edu
513-558-4657
University of Cincinnati
Public Release: 27-May-2008
PLoS Medicine
US reporters often do a poor job of reporting about new medical treatments
Most medical news stories about health interventions fail to adequately address costs, harms, benefits, the quality of evidence and the existence of other treatment options, finds a new analysis in this week's PLoS Medicine. The analysis was conducted by Gary Schwitzer from the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Contact: Andrew Hyde
press@plos.org
01-223-463-330
Public Library of Science
Public Release: 27-May-2008
PLoS Medicine
Disease mongering is now part of the global health debate
Two years ago, Ray Moynihan and David Henry at the University of Newcastle in Australia helped organize the world's first international conference on disease mongering, the process of widening the boundaries of illness in order to grow markets for those who sell and deliver treatments. In an essay in this week's PLoS Medicine, Moynihan and colleagues look back over the last two years to ask what impact the conference and theme issue have had.
Contact: Andrew Hyde
press@plos.org
01-223-463-330
Public Library of Science
Public Release: 27-May-2008
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
No association found between vitamin D concentration in blood and risk of prostate cancer
High vitamin D concentration in the blood is not associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer, researchers report in an article published online May 27 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Contact: Liz Savage
jncimedia@oxfordjournals.org
301-841-1287
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Public Release: 27-May-2008
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Antioxidant supplements may lessen benefit of radiation and chemotherapy
Cancer patients should avoid the routine use of antioxidant supplements during radiation and chemotherapy because the supplements may reduce the anticancer benefits of therapy, researchers concluded in a commentary published online May 27 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Contact: Liz Savage
jncimedia@oxfordjournals.org
301-841-1287
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Public Release: 27-May-2008
PLoS ONE
Public Release: 27-May-2008
European Heart Journal
Heart doctors don't follow guidelines for treating patients; pre-operative statins reduce deaths
A Europe-wide survey has revealed significant differences between doctors in the way they treat heart failure patients, with many failing to give the best care despite the existence of recommended guidelines. A second study has found that giving cholesterol-lowering drugs, statins, to patients before surgery for heart disease significantly reduces the risk of death or other serious complications after surgery.
Contact: Emma Mason
wordmason@mac.com
07-711-296-986
European Society of Cardiology
Giant flying reptiles preferred to walk
New research into gigantic flying reptiles has found they weren't all gull-like predators grabbing fish from the water but that some were strongly adapted for life on the ground. Pterosaurs lived during the age of dinosaurs 230 to 65 million years ago. A new study in PLoS ONE by researchers at the University of Portsmouth on one particular type of pterosaur, the azhdarchids, claims they were more likely to stalk animals on foot than fly.
Contact: Kate Daniell
Kate.Daniell@port.ac.uk
44-239-284-3743
Public Library of Science
Public Release: 27-May-2008
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
Hormone may hold key to helping elderly men live longer
Elderly men with higher activity of the hormone IGF-1 -- or insulin-growth factor 1 -- appear to have greater life expectancy and reduced cardiovascular risk, according to a new study accepted for publication in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Contact: Aaron Lohr
alohr@endo-society.org
240-482-1380
The Endocrine Society
Public Release: 27-May-2008
Nature Methods
Weizmann Institute scientists produce the first smell map
Scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science have created a "smell map" based on the chemical properties of odor molecules. This map, which can predict the neural response to an unfamiliar smell, supports the idea that universal laws governing smell are hard-wired into the brain.
Contact: Yivsam Azgad
news@weizmann.ac.il
972-893-43856
Weizmann Institute of Science
Public Release: 27-May-2008
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
When plants 'think' alike
Biologists have discovered that a fundamental building block in the cells of flowering plants evolved independently, yet almost identically, on a separate branch of the evolutionary tree -- in an ancient plant group called lycophytes that originated at least 420 million years ago.
National Science Foundation
Contact: Josh Chamot
jchamot@nsf.gov
703-292-7730
National Science Foundation
Religion is a product of evolution, software suggests
By distilling religious belief into a genetic predisposition, a computer program may explain how humans evolved a spiritual side
11:56 27 May 2008
Personal Health
Red Flags for Hereditary Cancers
By JANE E. BRODY
Knowing that you have a high-risk cancer gene mutation offers the chance to take preventive actions.
* Some Pitfalls of Genetic Testing
* Health Guide: Cancer »
Experts Question Placebo Pill for Children
By CHRISTIE ASCHWANDEN
Studies have repeatedly shown that placebos can produce improvements for many problems like depression, pain and high blood pressure. A mother envisioned a children’s placebo tablet that would empower parents to do something tangible for minor ills and reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics and other medicines.
Published: May 27, 2008
Monkeys Control a Robot Arm With Their Thoughts
By BENEDICT CAREY
The report in the journal Nature is the most striking demonstration of brain-machine interface technology.
Lotus Therapy
By BENEDICT CAREY
Mindfulness meditation has become perhaps the most popular new psychotherapy technique of the past decade.
Fossil reveals oldest live birth
Rebecca Morelle
Science reporter, BBC News

A fossil fish uncovered in Australia is the oldest-known example of a mother giving birth to live young, scientists have reported in the journal Nature.
Public Release: 27-May-2008
Immunity
Regulatory B cells exist -- and pack a punch
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have uncovered definitive evidence that a small but potent subset of immune system B cells is able to regulate inflammation.
The study was supported by grants from the NIH, the Association pour la Recherche contre le Cancer (ARC), Foundation Rene Touraine, and the Philippe Foundation.
Contact: Mary Jane Gore
mary.gore@duke.edu
919-660-1309
Duke University Medical Center
Public Release: 27-May-2008
Journal of National Cancer Institute
Estrogen helps drive distinct, aggressive form of prostate cancer
Using a breakthrough technology, researchers led by a Weill Cornell Medical College scientist have pinpointed the hormone estrogen as a key player in about half of all prostate cancers.
National Institutes of Health, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Swiss Foundation for Medical-Biological Grants SSMBS, US Department of Defense, Prostate Cancer Foundation
Contact: Andrew Klein
ank2017@med.cornell.edu
212-821-0560
New York- Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College
Public Release: 27-May-2008
New breathing exercises help manage asthma
A presentation that demonstrates breathing exercises designed to help reduce the use of asthma inhalers is today available to the general public for free from the Cooperative Research Centre for Asthma and Airways website.
Contact: Lucy Williams
lucyw@woolcock.org.au
61-403-753-028
Research Australia
Public Release: 28-May-2008
Neurology
Ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen may be equally effective at reducing risk of Alzheimer's disease
Different types of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin, appear to be equally effective in lowering the risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to the largest study of its kind published in the May 28, 2008, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Experts have debated whether a certain group of NSAIDs that includes ibuprofen may be more beneficial than another group that includes naproxen and aspirin.
Contact: Rachel Seroka
rseroka@aan.com
651-695-2738
American Academy of Neurology
Public Release: 28-May-2008
Nature
Large methane release could cause abrupt climate change as happened 635 million years ago
An abrupt release of methane about 635 million years ago from ice sheets caused a dramatic shift in climate, triggering a series of events that effectively ended the last "snowball" ice age, a study led by Martin Kennedy of the University of California, Riverside reports. According to the study, methane clathrate destabilization acted as a runaway feedback to increased warming, and was the tipping point that ended the last snowball Earth.
National Science Foundation, NASA Exobiology
Contact: Iqbal Pittalwala
iqbal@ucr.edu
951-827-6050
University of California - Riverside
Public Release: 28-May-2008
New England Journal of Medicine
Medication shows promise for patients with severe chronic constipation
A new medication appears to offer significant relief to patients with severe chronic constipation while minimizing the likelihood of cardiac-related side effects.
Contact: Lee Aase
newsbureau@mayo.edu
507-284-5005
Mayo Clinic
Public Release: 28-May-2008
Where man boldly goes, bacteria follow
Life in outer space is an absolute certainty, and it is likely to be more familiar than we might think, according to an article in the May issue of Microbiology Today. Ever since the start of the space race we have sent more than just satellites and astronauts into space: spacecraft are not routinely decontaminated and are teeming with microbial life.
Contact: Lucy Goodchild
l.goodchild@sgm.ac.uk
44-118-988-1843
Society for General Microbiology
Public Release: 28-May-2008
Journal of Neuroscience
Scripps Research scientists find seizure drug reverses cellular effects
New findings from scientists at The Scripps Research Institute provide evidence that the drug gabapentin affects certain components of the alcohol addiction cycle in the brain, supporting the idea that the medication, which is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treating seizures and pain, also holds potential for the treatment of alcohol dependence.
NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Harold L. Dorris Neurological Research Institute at Scripps Research, Scripps Research Institute
Contact: Keith McKeown
kmckeown@scripps.edu
858-784-8134
Scripps Research Institute
Public Release: 28-May-2008
Science
How fairness is wired in the brain
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have discovered that reason struggles with emotion to find equitable solutions, and have pinpointed the region of the brain where this takes place. The concept of fairness, they found, is processed in the insular cortex, or insula, which is also the seat of emotional reactions.
Packard Foundation, Moore Foundation, Templeton Foundation, Beckman Institute
Contact: Elisabeth Nadin
enadin@caltech.edu
626-395-3631
California Institute of Technology
'Horror frog' breaks own bones to produce claws
Hairy frogs from the Cameroon have revealed a remarkable mechanism that causes thorn-like claws to burst through the skin when it is threatened
00:01 28 May 2008
Nothing beats a home-cooked meal – even for apes
Chimps and other apes seem to prefer cooked food over raw – the finding may show that our ancestors had an innate preference for cooked food
12:30 28 May 2008

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News As of May 29, 2008

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Fastest spinning asteroid spied by amateur stargazer
An amateur astronomer observed the whirling space rock using a telescope controlled over the internet
17:48 28 May 2008
Public Release: 29-May-2008
Science
Mars' water appears to have been too salty to support life
A new analysis of the Martian rock that gave hints of water on the Red Planet -- and, therefore, optimism about the prospect of life -- now suggests the water was more likely a thick brine, far too salty to support life as we know it.
NASA, Harvard University Origins of Life Project
Contact: Steve Bradt
steve_bradt@harvard.edu
617-496-8070
Harvard University
Public Release: 29-May-2008
Science
A common aquatic animal's genome can capture foreign DNA
Long viewed as straitlaced spinsters, sexless freshwater invertebrate animals known as bdelloid rotifers may actually be far more promiscuous than anyone had imagined: Scientists at Harvard University have found that the genomes of these common creatures are chock-full of DNA from plants, fungi, bacteria, and animals.
National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation
Contact: Steve Bradt
steve_bradt@harvard.edu
617-496-8070
Harvard University
Public Release: 29-May-2008
Science
Carnegie Mellon computer model reveals how brain represents meaning
Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University have taken an important step toward understanding how the human brain codes the meanings of words by creating the first computational model that can predict the unique brain activation patterns associated with names for things that you can see, hear, feel, taste or smell.
W.M. Keck Foundation, National Science Foundation
Contact: Byron Spice
bspice@cs.cmu.edu
412-268-9068
Carnegie Mellon University
Public Release: 29-May-2008
Cancer Research
Dehydrated tomatoes show promise for preventing prostate cancer
New research suggests that the form of tomato product one eats could be the key to unlocking its prostate cancer-fighting potential, according to a report in the June 1 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Contact: Jeremy Moore
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org
267-646-0557
American Association for Cancer Research
DNA Offers Clues to Greenland’s First Inhabitants
By NICHOLAS WADE
The earliest inhabitants of the New World’s northern extremes were the descendants of eastern Asian populations, researchers say.
Ancient hair suggests multiple migrations into Americas
An ancient tuft of human hair suggests that a tribe of humans trekked from Asia to settle in the Arctic 3500 years ago – and then vanished
19:00 29 May 2008
Public Release: 29-May-2008
Why rebel groups attack civilians
In civil war, rebel groups often target civilians despite the fact that their actual target is the government and that they are often dependent on the support of the civilian groups they attack. This may seem illogical, but there are rational reasons for this type of violence. Swedish peace and conflict researcher Lisa Hultman describes these reasons.
Contact: Lisa Hultman
Lisa.Hultman@pcr.uu.se
46-709-629-240
Uppsala University
Public Release: 29-May-2008
Rapid wound healing
A new type of wound dressing made of silica gel fibers will soon help to heal difficult wounds caused by burns or diabetes. The dressing forms a supporting matrix for newly growing skin cells and is fully absorbed by the body during the healing process.
Contact: Jörn Probst
joern.probst@isc.fraunhofer.de
49-931-410-0249
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Public Release: 29-May-2008
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
Did walking on 2 feet begin with a shuffle?
A pair of researchers have developed a model that suggests shuffling emerged millions of years ago as a precursor to walking on two feet as a way of saving metabolic energy by a common ancestor of today primates.
Contact: Joel Schwarz
joels@u.washington.edu
206-543-2580
University of Washington
Was Stonehenge originally a place for the dead?
Radiocarbon dating of human cremations suggests that, in its earliest phase, the monument was primarily a place of burial
17:19 29 May 2008
Common bacteria linked to cot death
There is now hard evidence that two common species of bacteria are more prevalent in babies who fell prey to sudden infant death syndrome
00:01 30 May 2008
Public Release: 30-May-2008
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
US soldiers in high-tuberculosis areas face new epidemic: false positives
US Army service members are increasingly deployed in regions of the world where tuberculosis is rampant, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, and the military now faces a growing medical problem. But it is not TB itself that is on the rise -- instead, the problem lies with the growing number of "pseudoepidemics," or clusters of false-positives.
Contact: Keely Savoie
ksavoie@thoracic.org
212-315-8620
American Thoracic Society
Public Release: 30-May-2008
American Journal of Roentgenology
Whole milk is effective and cost-effective as oral contrast agent
An item commonly found in many homes -- whole milk -- is just as effective, costs less and is easier on the patient than a diluted barium suspension that is also commonly used as an oral contrast agent in conjunction with CT to examine the gastrointestinal tract, a new study finds.
Contact: Necoya Tyson
necoya@arrs.org
703-858-4304
American Roentgen Ray Society
Public Release: 30-May-2008
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
Golf prolongs life
Golf can be a good investment for the health, according to a new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet. The death rate for golfers is 40 percent lower than for other people of the same sex, age and socioeconomic status, which correspond to a 5 year increase in life expectancy. Golfers with a low handicap are the safest.
Contact: Katarina Sternudd
katarina.sternudd@ki.se
46-852-483-895
Karolinska Institutet
Public Release: 30-May-2008
Nature Genetics
Leeds medics solve an ancient riddle -- and offer new tool for diagnosis
A puzzling medical condition, identified more than 2,000 years ago by Hippocrates, has finally been explained by researchers at the University of Leeds.
Contact: Simon Jenkins
S.Jenkins@leeds.ac.uk
44-011-334-34031
University of Leeds
Public Release: 30-May-2008
Gastroenterology
Prevalence of pre-cancerous masses in the colon same in patients in their 40s and 50s
The prevalence of pre-cancerous masses in the colon is the same for average-risk patients who are 40 to 49 years of age and those who are 50 to 59 years of age, reports a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association Institute.
EHE International
Contact: Aimee Frank
media@gastro.org
301-941-2620
American Gastroenterological Association
Altruism needs selfish genes to evolve after all
The sexual behaviour of queen ants, bees and wasps shows that close genetic kinship is key to the evolution of sterile worker castes
Updated 16:23 30 May 2008
Immune cells 'vacuum up' Alzheimer's clumps
Blocking a gene in mice allows white blood cells to enter the brain and destroy the amyloid plaques that cause Alzheimer's, suggesting a new approach to the disease
18:00 30 May 2008