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29-Mar-2011 9:00 AM EDT
NASA Satellites Detect Extensive Drought Impact on Amazon Forests
Boston University College of Arts and Sciences

A new NASA-funded study that shows widespread reductions in the greenness of forests in the vast Amazon basin in South America were caused by the record-breaking drought of 2010.

23-Mar-2011 11:00 AM EDT
First Practical Nanogenerator Produces Electricity with Pinch of the Fingers
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Scientists are reporting development of the first commercially viable nanogenerator, a flexible chip that can use body movements — a finger pinch now en route to a pulse beat in the future — to generate electricity. Their study will be presented at the American Chemical Society’s 241th National Meeting in Anaheim.

28-Mar-2011 4:35 PM EDT
Carbon Labeling: Putting the Power in Consumer’s Hands
Vanderbilt University

Almost all climate scientists agree that actions must be taken to lower carbon emissions, also known as greenhouse gases, to reduce the risk of damage to the environment and ultimately human health. A group of researchers say adding carbon labels to products could help change purchasing behavior and corporate supply chains, ultimately leading to large emissions reductions. They propose a private labeling system to fill the gap until national and international rules are adopted.

23-Mar-2011 11:00 AM EDT
American Chemical Society’s Highest Honor Goes to Pioneer in “Ultrafast-Motion” Imaging
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Ahmed H. Zewail, Ph.D., the 1999 Chemistry Nobel Laureate and the Linus Pauling Professor of Chemistry & Professor of Physics at California Institute of Technology, has been named the winner of the 2011 Priestley Medal by the American Chemical Society (ACS). The award will recognize Zewail’s development of revolutionary methods to capture “slow-motion” images of ultrafast processes in chemistry, biology, and materials science. The award is the highest honor bestowed by ACS.

23-Mar-2011 11:00 AM EDT
Some Ingredients in “Green” Products Come from Petroleum Rather than Natural Sources
American Chemical Society (ACS)

With more and more environmentally conscious consumers choosing “green” products, scientists today reported that the first reality check has revealed that the ingredients in those product may come from a surprising source –– petroleum, rather than natural plant-based sources.

23-Mar-2011 11:00 AM EDT
Mimicking Mother Nature Yields Promising Materials for Drug Delivery and Other Applications
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Taking a lesson from Mother Nature’s genius as a designer, a scientist will describe a whole new menagerie of packets shaped like bubbles, tubes, and disks that could be used to deliver drugs to the body more efficiently and effectively than current materials. His report, scheduled for the 241st National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Anaheim, Calif., opens the door to developing a wide range of other materials for improved electronics, drugs, cosmetics, and other applications.

23-Mar-2011 11:00 AM EDT
From Crankcase to Gas Tank: New Microwave Method Converts Used Motor Oil Into Fuel
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Scientists are reporting development of a quick, efficient method for recycling automotive waste oil into fuel. The new method could help dispose of the estimated 24 million tons of waste oil produced each year worldwide and provide a supplemental fuel source for an energy-hungry world. Scientists will describe the new method, the first to use microwaves to convert waste oil to fuel, at the 241st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Anaheim.

28-Mar-2011 1:00 PM EDT
Bones Conjure Yellowstone’s Ecological Ghosts
University of Chicago

By taking a closer look at animal bones scattered across the wilderness landscape, a University of Chicago researcher has found a powerful tool for showing how species’ populations have changed over decades or even a century.

22-Mar-2011 2:10 PM EDT
Marijuana Use May Hurt Intellectual Skills in MS Patients
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

Any possible pain relief that marijuana has for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be outweighed by the drug’s apparent negative effect on thinking skills, according to research published in the March 29, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

23-Mar-2011 11:00 AM EDT
Potential New Medicines Show Promise for Treating Colon Cancer, Asthma
American Chemical Society (ACS)

In what they described as the opening of a new era in the development of potentially life-saving new drugs, scientists today reported discovery of a way to tone down an overactive gene involved in colon cancer and block a key protein involved in asthma attacks. The scientists will describe their research on these so-called stapled peptides at the 241st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Anaheim.

23-Mar-2011 3:00 PM EDT
To Meet, Greet Or Retreat During Influenza Outbreaks?
Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

When influenza pandemics arrive is severing social and business interactions with our neighbors really better than chancing getting sick?

   
22-Mar-2011 11:30 AM EDT
Surgeon Availability Tied to Survival Rate in Vehicle Crashes
UC San Diego Health

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine claim that the availability of surgeons is a critical factor in public health and suggest that surgery should become an important part of the primary health care system.

24-Mar-2011 12:50 PM EDT
Some Women Worry Too Much About Breast Cancer Returning
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Most women face only a small risk of breast cancer coming back after they complete their treatment. Yet a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds that nearly half of Latinas who speak little English expressed a great deal of worry about recurrence.

25-Mar-2011 10:00 AM EDT
Kids with Asthma Need More Help with Inhalers
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Fewer than one in 10 children with asthma use traditional inhalers correctly, according to a new study. Researchers also found that the majority of health-care providers did not demonstrate or assess children’s use of such devices during pediatric asthma visits.

23-Mar-2011 11:00 AM EDT
“Green” Cars Could be Made from Pineapples and Bananas
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Your next car hopefully won’t be a lemon. But it could be a pineapple, banana, or some other tropical fruit. That’s because scientists in Brazil are reporting an advance toward the long-awaited “bio-automobile” …. developed a convenient way to turn fruit fibers into nanoparticles to improve the performance and eco-friendliness of automobile plastics, including bumpers and dashboards. Scientists will describe the new method and materials at the 241st National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society in Anaheim, Calif.

23-Mar-2011 11:00 AM EDT
TV Hits Like House and Zula Patrol Strive for Accurate Science & Technology
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Producers and writers for several popular medical and science fiction television shows like House, Breaking Bad, and Zula Patrol — major sources of information about science and technology for millions of people — say they do strive for scientific accuracy. They appeared at a special symposium on “Hollywood Chemistry” at the 241st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.

23-Mar-2011 11:00 AM EDT
Research Across the Universe Spans Multibillion-Dollar Industry at Home
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Nobel laureate Harold Kroto said that humanity’s age-old quest to understand what’s going on millions and billions of miles across the galaxy are having enormous and unexpected payoffs here on Earth, including the birth of a new, multibillion-dollar-per-year nanotechnology industry. His talk is part of a special symposium on the chemistry of natural resources during the 241st American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting.

23-Mar-2011 11:00 AM EDT
“Nano-Bricks” May Help Build Better Packaging to Keep Foods Fresher Longer
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Scientists are reporting on a new material containing an ingredient used to make bricks that shows promise as a transparent coating for improving the strength and performance of plastic food packaging. Called “nano-bricks,” the coating could help foods and beverages stay fresh and flavorful longer and may replace some foil packaging currently in use, they said. Scientists will describe the new, eco-friendly material at the 241st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Anaheim.

23-Mar-2011 11:00 AM EDT
Taming the Flame: Electrical Wave “Blaster” Could Provide New Way to Extinguish Fires
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Those raging fires that destroy homes, ships, planes other structures could be suppressed in faster and more efficiently using technology now in development that uses an unusual source: Blasts of electrical waves. Scientists will describe the promising “flame-tamer” technology at the 241st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Anaheim.

23-Mar-2011 11:00 AM EDT
Walnuts Are Top Nut for Heart-Healthy Antioxidants
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Scientists are reporting that walnuts have a combination of more healthful antioxidants and higher quality antioxidants than any other nut. They will describe their study on heart-healthy walnuts at the 241st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Anaheim.

23-Mar-2011 11:00 AM EDT
Debut of the First Practical “Artificial Leaf”
American Chemical Society (ACS)

In a finding that could help meet the growing energy demands of billions of people worldwide in a simpler, more efficient and less-costly way, a noted scientist is reporting long-awaited development of the first practical “artificial leaf.” The solar-powered device mimics the chemical process, called photosynthesis, that plants use to convert sunlight into fuel, said chemist Daniel Nocera. He will describe the device at the 241st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Anaheim.

23-Mar-2011 11:00 AM EDT
First Identification of Nicotine as Main Culprit in Diabetes Complications Among Smokers
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Scientists are reporting for the first time that nicotine is the main culprit in diabetes complications among smokers. The tobacco chemical appears to cause elevated levels of a blood protein that increases the risk of diabetes complications, including heart attack, stroke, and blindness, the scientists say. Scientists will describe the finding at the 241st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Anaheim.

   
23-Mar-2011 11:00 AM EDT
Organizers Pick Key Presentations at ACS 241St National Meeting & Exposition
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Organizers of the technical program at the American Chemical Society’s 241st National Meeting & Exposition have identified these highlights from their own division or committee’s presentations. The technical program is a journalistic treasure trove for spot news, features, story ideas, background, and sources for future coverage. It includes almost 9,400 papers that span scientific topics from astronomy to zoology. Journalists can access abstracts of all the presentations, with time and location, via the searchable online program or on a disc available from the ACS Office of Public Affairs contacts.

22-Mar-2011 4:50 PM EDT
Global Crunch in Supplies of Key Fertilizer Could Threaten Food Supply and Raise Prices
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Five major scientific societies cautioned today that global production of phosphorus fertilizer could peak and decline later this century, causing shortages and price spikes that jeopardizing world food production. The white paper, Chemistry for a Sustainable Global Society, also cautioned about the supply of other natural resources where monopolies or political instability affect supplies or inflate prices.

21-Mar-2011 7:00 PM EDT
Paleo-Indians Settled North America Earlier Than Thought, Study Suggests
University of Illinois Chicago

Researchers excavating a creek bed in central Texas have found evidence suggesting humans settled in North America some two thousand years earlier than previously estimated. The findings are reported March 25 in Science.

23-Mar-2011 1:25 PM EDT
Researchers Find Potential New Non-Insulin Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered a hormone pathway that potentially could lead to new ways of treating type 1 diabetes independent of insulin, long thought to be the sole regulator of carbohydrates in the liver.

23-Mar-2011 7:55 AM EDT
Coronary Artery Calcium Scans May Help Patients Lower Heart Disease Risk without Increasing Tests and Costs
Cedars-Sinai

A new study of coronary artery calcium scanning – a simple, noninvasive test that gives patients baseline information about plaque in their coronary arteries—has shown that the scan helps them make heart-healthy lifestyle changes and lower their heart disease risk factors.

23-Mar-2011 12:25 PM EDT
Mentholated Cigarettes No More Harmful Than Non-Mentholated Brands
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Individuals who smoke mentholated cigarettes are no more likely to develop lung cancer or to die from the disease than smokers of non-mentholated cigarettes, according to a new study led by William Blot, Ph.D., professor of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), Nashville, Tenn., and colleagues at VICC, Meharry Medical College (MMC), Nashville, and the International Epidemiology Institute (IEI), Rockville, Md.

18-Mar-2011 12:05 PM EDT
Trigger Found for Autoimmune Heart Attacks
Joslin Diabetes Center

People with type 1 diabetes, whose insulin-producing cells have been destroyed by the body’s own immune system, are particularly vulnerable to a form of inflammatory heart disease caused by a different autoimmune reaction. Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center now have revealed the exact target of this other onslaught.

21-Mar-2011 3:15 PM EDT
Mouse Cancer Genome Unveils Genetic Errors in Human Cancers
Washington University in St. Louis

By sequencing the genome of a mouse with cancer, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have uncovered mutations that also drive cancer in humans. The investigators are the first to sequence a mouse cancer genome, and their research is reported online March 23 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

17-Mar-2011 3:30 PM EDT
Despite Uncertain Benefit, Fibrates Commonly Used in US, Canada
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Although recent evidence suggests that the clinical benefit may be uncertain for fibrates, a class of drugs used for the treatment of high lipid levels, use of these drugs is common in the U.S. and Canada, with usage increasing steadily in the last decade in the U.S., especially for a brand-name fibrate product, according to a study in the March 23/30 issue of JAMA.

17-Mar-2011 3:50 PM EDT
Hydrocortisone Therapy for Trauma Patients Associated with Reduced Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia Risk
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Patients admitted to a hospital with major trauma and treated with the steroid hydrocortisone were less likely to be diagnosed with hospital-acquired pneumonia than patients who received placebo, according to a study in the March 23/30 issue of JAMA.

17-Mar-2011 3:55 PM EDT
Occasional Physical, Sexual Activity Associated with Short-Term Increased Risk of Heart Attack
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

An analysis of previous studies that examined whether episodic physical activity and sexual activity can act as a trigger for cardiac events found an association between these activities and a short-term increased risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death, although the absolute risk was small and lessened among persons with high levels of regular physical activity, according to an article in the March 23/30 issue of JAMA.

17-Mar-2011 4:00 PM EDT
More Sensitive Test for Cardiac Biomarker May Better Identify Patients Who Experienced Heart Attack
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

In patients with a suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS; such as heart attack or unstable angina), use of a more sensitive test to detect the protein troponin in blood was associated with increased diagnosis of a heart attack and improved identification of patients at high risk of another heart attack and death in the following year, according to a study in the March 23/30 issue of JAMA.

22-Mar-2011 4:00 PM EDT
Research Practices Must be Changed to Minimize Fraud, Deception
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

in a commentary published in the Journal of the American Medical Association March 23, two U-M physicians call for changes throughout the research process to minimize fraud, deception.

16-Mar-2011 11:00 AM EDT
Communication Breakdowns in Hospitals Undercut the Effectiveness of Safety Tools and Negatively Impact Patient Outcomes
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)

Poor communications continue to undermine efforts to prevent avoidable medical errors. The "Silent Treatment" study by AACN, AORN and VitalSmarts focuses on known risks that are left undiscussed -- dangerous shortcuts, incompetence and disrespect.

15-Mar-2011 1:40 PM EDT
Stem Cells May Show Promise for People with Rapidly Progressing MS
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

A long term study reports about the effectiveness of replacing bone marrow, purposely destroyed by chemotherapy, with autologous (self) stem cell rescue for people with aggressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study is published in the March 22, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

14-Mar-2011 4:00 PM EDT
Giant Extinct Rabbit Was the King of Minorca
Society of Vertebrate Paleontology

On the small island of Minorca researchers have unearthed an enormous fossil rabbit skeleton. This massive rabbit, aptly named the Minorcan King of the Rabbits (Nuralagus rex), weighed in at 12 kg (26.4 lbs)! — approximately ten times the size of its extinct mainland cousin (Alilepus sp.) and six times the size of the living European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus.

18-Mar-2011 4:30 PM EDT
Process Gives Graphene Nanoribbons Metallic Properties
Georgia Institute of Technology, Research Communications

A "templated growth” technique for fabricating nanoribbons of epitaxial graphene has produced structures just 15 to 40 nanometers wide that conduct current with almost no resistance. These structures could address the challenge of connecting graphene devices made with conventional architectures.

18-Mar-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Men Fuel Rebound in Cosmetic Surgery
American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)

Women have always been willing to do what it takes to look good. Now, the latest quantitative research from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, shows that more MEN are now going under the knife. The new statistics, which include plastic surgery trends in various demographics, will be released on Monday, March 21, 2011 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Overall cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in men were up 2 percent in 2010 compared to 2009. However, the new stats show that many male surgical procedures increased significantly. Facelifts for men rose 14 percent in 2010 while male liposuction increased 7 percent.

17-Mar-2011 6:00 AM EDT
Re-Creating Autism, in Mice
McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Mice with a particular gene mutation avoid interacting with other mice and show compulsive, repetitive behavior.

17-Mar-2011 1:40 PM EDT
Researchers Create Organic, Non-Toxic Nanoparticle That Lights Up, Uses Sound and Heat to Find and Treat Tumors
University Health Network (UHN)

A team of scientists from Princess Margaret Hospital have created an organic nanoparticle that is completely non-toxic, biodegradable and nimble in the way it uses light and heat to treat cancer and deliver drugs. (A nanoparticle is a minute molecule with novel properties).

   
14-Mar-2011 4:30 PM EDT
Men Report Persistent Sexual Impairment After Use of Common Hair Loss Drugs
George Washington University

A new study by The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, that will be published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, suggests men who take the drug finasteride, commonly marketed under the trademark names Propecia and Proscar, may report an on-going reduction in sex drive, and in some cases, prolonged periods of erectile dysfunction even after they stop using the medications.

11-Mar-2011 9:00 AM EST
Daily Home Dialysis Makes 'Restless Legs' Better
American Society of Nephrology (ASN)

For dialysis patients, performing daily dialysis at home can help alleviate sleep problems related to restless legs syndrome (RLS), according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). RLS, a common and troublesome problem for dialysis patients, affects hemodialysis patients about four times as often as people in the general population.

15-Mar-2011 2:00 PM EDT
Am Jrl of Public Health: May 2011 Highlights
American Public Health Association (APHA)

(1) Parents confusion over enrollment, eligibility leads to underutilization of public health insurance for eligible children (2) Current laws ineffective at preventing adolescents’ use of indoor tanning (3) Antidrug advertising found to be most effective on eighth-grade girls

14-Mar-2011 3:25 PM EDT
Gene Therapy Reverses Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College

A gene therapy called NLX-P101 dramatically reduces movement impairment in Parkinson's patients, according to results of a Phase 2 study published today in the journal Lancet Neurology. The approach introduces a gene into the brain to normalize chemical signaling.

15-Mar-2011 11:35 AM EDT
“Meaningful Improvements” Using Gene Therapy in Parkinson’s Disease
Henry Ford Health

A first-of-its-kind study of gene therapy in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease determined that half of all patients who received the treatment had “clinically meaningful improvements” of their symptoms within six months of surgery, says study lead author and co-principal investigator Peter LeWitt, M.D.

16-Mar-2011 12:50 PM EDT
First Successful Double-Blind Trial of Gene Therapy for Advanced Parkinson’s
North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System (North Shore-LIJ Health System)

A multi-center gene therapy trial for patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease demonstrated reduced symptoms of the progressive movement disorder, according to a new study published in Lancet Neurology.

16-Mar-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Adding New Anti-Asthma Drug to Therapy May Limit Seasonal Attacks in Children
UT Southwestern Medical Center

A new anti-asthma medication dramatically reduced increases in seasonal asthma attacks in children and young adults with allergic asthma, according to a multi-institutional study involving a UT Southwestern Medical Center physician.

16-Mar-2011 6:00 AM EDT
Japan Tragedy: Secure World Foundation Emphasizes Value of Satellite and Social Media Tools
Secure World Foundation

Earth remote sensing satellites and social networking tools are in use to help respond to the multi-prong tragedy in Japan of earthquake, tsunami, and the crippling of nuclear power plants.



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