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2-Jan-2013 2:35 PM EST
NFL Players May Be at Higher Risk for Depression as They Age
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

National Football League (NFL) players may be at increased risk of depression as they age due to brain damage resulting from concussions, according to two studies released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013.

Released: 16-Jan-2013 4:00 PM EST
Mindfulness Meditation May Relieve Chronic Inflammation
University of Wisconsin–Madison

People suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and asthma — in which psychological stress plays a major role — may benefit from mindfulness meditation techniques, according to a study by University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientists with the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center.

2-Jan-2013 2:00 PM EST
Migraine with Aura May Lead to Heart Attack, Blood Clots for Women
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

Women who have migraines with aura, which are often visual disturbances such as flashing lights, may be more likely to have problems with their heart and blood vessels, and those on newer contraceptives may be at higher risk for blood clots, according to two studies released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013.

Released: 15-Jan-2013 1:10 PM EST
Lincoln to MLK: Have We Achieved the “New Birth of Freedom?”
Gettysburg College

Gettysburg College Africana Studies and History Prof. considers African Americans' struggles and progress over the past 150 years, including the promises and hopes of Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr.

Released: 15-Jan-2013 12:00 PM EST
Polypill Could Be Cost-Effective in Preventing Heart Disease, but Intervention Is Unavailable in U.S.
University of Wisconsin–Madison

A single combination pill could reduce cardiovascular disease and stroke in Latin Americans by up to 21 percent at a cost of about $35 per quality adjusted life year gained, according to a study led by a University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health research team.

2-Jan-2013 1:00 PM EST
Early Surgical Menopause Linked to Declines in Memory and Thinking Skills
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

Women who undergo surgical menopause at an earlier age may have an increased risk of decline in memory and thinking skills, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013. Early surgical menopause is the removal of both ovaries before natural menopause and often accompanies a hysterectomy.

2-Jan-2013 1:00 PM EST
Depressed Stroke Survivors May Face Triple the Risk of Death
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

People who are depressed after a stroke may have a tripled risk of dying early and four times the risk of death from stroke than people who have not experienced a stroke or depression, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013.

2-Jan-2013 1:00 PM EST
A Saliva Gland Test for Parkinson’s Disease?
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

New research suggests that testing a portion of a person’s saliva gland may be a way to diagnose Parkinson's disease. The study was released today and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013.

Released: 10-Jan-2013 2:00 PM EST
Surgical Technique Spots Cancer Invasion with Fluorescence
UC San Diego Health

A team of surgeons and scientists at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have developed a new technique that will allow surgeons to identify during surgery which lymph nodes are cancerous so that healthy tissue can be saved. The findings will be published in the January 15 print edition of Cancer Research.

3-Jan-2013 2:10 PM EST
Regulating Single Protein Prompts Fibroblasts to Become Neurons
UC San Diego Health

Repression of a single protein in ordinary fibroblasts is sufficient to directly convert the cells – abundantly found in connective tissues – into functional neurons. The findings, which could have far-reaching implications for the development of new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington’s, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, will be published online in advance of the January 17 issue of the journal Cell.

Released: 8-Jan-2013 5:30 PM EST
Hubble Reveals Rogue Planetary Orbit for Fomalhaut b
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Newly released Hubble Space Telescope images of a vast debris disk encircling the nearby star Fomalhaut, and of a mysterious planet circling it, may provide forensic evidence of a titanic planetary disruption in the system. Astronomers are surprised to find that the debris belt is wider than previously known, spanning a gulf of space from 14 billion miles to nearly 20 billion miles from the star. Even more surprisingly, the latest Hubble images have allowed a team of astronomers to calculate that the planet follows an unusual elliptical orbit that carries it on a potentially destructive path through the vast dust ring.

2-Jan-2013 1:00 PM EST
Hold the Diet Soda? Sweetened Drinks Linked to Depression, Coffee Tied to Lower Risk
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

New research suggests that drinking sweetened beverages, especially diet drinks, is associated with an increased risk of depression in adults while drinking coffee was tied to a slightly lower risk. The study was released today and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013.

Released: 8-Jan-2013 3:15 PM EST
Pesticides and Parkinson's: Researchers Uncover Further Proof of a Link
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA researchers have found a link between Parkinson's disease and the pesticide Benomyl, whose toxicological effects still linger in the environment, ten years after it was banned by the EPA. More important, the research suggests the way this pesticide does its damage may occur in other people with Parkinson's, even for those who were not exposed to this pesticide.

4-Jan-2013 3:00 PM EST
Genes and Obesity: Fast Food Isn't Only Culprit in Expanding Waistlines -- DNA Is Also to Blame
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Researchers at UCLA say it's not just what you eat that makes those pants tighter — it's also genetics. In a new study, scientists discovered that body-fat responses to a typical fast-food diet are determined in large part by genetic factors, and they have identified several genes they say may control those responses.

Released: 7-Jan-2013 4:00 PM EST
Report to the Nation Shows U.S. Cancer Death Rates Continue to Drop
National Cancer Institute (NCI) at NIH

The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975–2009, shows that overall cancer death rates continued to decline in the United States among both men and women, among all major racial and ethnic groups, and for all of the most common cancer sites, including lung, colon and rectum, female breast, and prostate. However, the report also shows that death rates continued to increase during the latest time period (2000 through 2009) for melanoma of the skin (among men only) and for cancers of the liver, pancreas, and uterus. The special feature section on human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers shows that incidence rates are increasing for HPV-associated oropharyngeal and anal cancers and that vaccination coverage levels in the U.S. during 2008 and 2010 remained low among adolescent girls.

2-Jan-2013 1:00 PM EST
Can Blood Pressure Drugs Reduce the Risk of Dementia?
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

People taking the blood pressure drugs called beta blockers may be less likely to have changes in the brain that can be signs of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013.

Released: 7-Jan-2013 4:00 PM EST
Questions and Answers: Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975–2009, Featuring the Burden and Trends in HPV-Associated Cancers and HPV Vaccination Coverage Levels
National Cancer Institute (NCI) at NIH

Have questions about the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer? We have answered some common inquiries about the report and the findings.

Released: 26-Dec-2012 1:25 PM EST
One Step Closer: UW-Madison Scientists Help Explain Scarcity of Anti-Matter
University of Wisconsin–Madison

A collaboration with major participation by physicists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has made a precise measurement of elusive, nearly massless particles, and obtained a crucial hint as to why the universe is dominated by matter, not by its close relative, anti-matter.

19-Dec-2012 12:55 PM EST
West Antarctica Warming More Than Expected
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

Raising further concerns about sea level rise, a study finds that the West Antarctica Ice Sheet is warming nearly twice as much as previously thought. The study, which will appear in Nature Geoscience, finds an increase of 4.3 degrees Fahrenheit since 1958 – three times faster than the global average.

Released: 19-Dec-2012 1:25 PM EST
Raising Minimum Wage Lifts Single Mothers Out of Poverty and Boosts U.S. Economy, Policy Report Shows
University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)

Raising the minimum wage to a living wage begins the cycle of lifting single mothers out of poverty, according to a policy report released by the Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis (IUPRA) at The University of Texas at Austin.

Released: 13-Dec-2012 11:10 AM EST
Applicants’ Pictures on Social Media Profiles Can Be a Key Factor in Hiring Decisions
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)

A recent study found that applicants whose pictures appear on their social media profiles are viewed more favorably than applicants who are not pictured. Also, that applicants with "attractive" photos were considered stronger than those with "unattractive" pictures.

   
Released: 13-Dec-2012 11:05 AM EST
Workplace Harassment of Adolescents
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)

Harassment of teen workers can be alleviated by providing them more meaningful assignments and coping strategies.

   
Released: 13-Dec-2012 11:00 AM EST
Does Cheating in College Carry Over to the Workplace?
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)

A recent study found a strong relationship between cheating in college and counterproductive workplace behavior.

   
Released: 13-Dec-2012 10:50 AM EST
Good Lies and Bad Lies. Perceptions For Corporate and Non-Profit Liars
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)

Research shows that people are more forgiving of lies from a non-profit organization than they are from a for-profit (Fortune 500) company.

   
9-Dec-2012 11:00 PM EST
Nature Nurtures Creativity after Four Days of Hiking
University of Utah

Backpackers scored 50 percent better on a creativity test after spending four days in nature disconnected from electronic devices, according to a study by psychologists from the University of Utah and University of Kansas.

Released: 12-Dec-2012 2:00 PM EST
Hubble Provides First Census of Galaxies Near Cosmic Dawn
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have uncovered a previously unseen population of seven primitive galaxies that formed more than 13 billion years ago, when the universe was less than 3 percent of its present age. The deepest images to date from Hubble yield the first statistically robust sample of galaxies that tells how abundant they were close to the era when galaxies first formed. Want to know even more? Join our online webinar and hear three key astronomers illustrate and explain what Hubble’s powerful new view tells us about the evolving universe. Viewers can send in questions for our panel of experts to discuss. The webinar will be broadcast at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14. Join us for this Google Event at the Hubble Space Telescope Google+ page (https://plus.google.com/+hubblespacetelescope/posts), or watch and leave questions at the HubbleSite YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/hubblesitechannel).

Released: 12-Dec-2012 12:30 PM EST
Climate Modelers See Warmer, Wetter Northeast Winters
University of Massachusetts Amherst

Winter contracting, snow season expected to be shorter, experts say. A new high-resolution study, the first to apply regional climate models to near-term temperature and precipitation changes in the Northeast U.S., suggests temperatures may be much warmer in the next 30 years, especially in winter.

Released: 10-Dec-2012 12:40 PM EST
Do We Live in a Computer Simulation? Researchers Say Idea Can Be Tested
University of Washington

A decade ago, a British philosopher put forth the possibility that our universe might be a computer simulation run by our descendants. Now, a team of physicists at the University of Washington has come up with a potential test to see if the idea holds water.

Released: 10-Dec-2012 8:00 AM EST
Hedge Funds Manipulate Stock Prices, New Research Shows
Ohio State University

Some hedge funds manipulate stock prices at the end of the month to improve the returns that they report to their investors, a new study suggests.

Released: 4-Dec-2012 11:25 AM EST
Telecommuting Increases Work Hours and Blurs Boundary Between Work and Home
University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)

New sociology study from The University of Texas at Austin shows telecommuters are significantly less likely to work a standard 40 hour schedule and more likely to work overtime than their office-working counterparts.

Released: 3-Dec-2012 1:00 PM EST
Study Shows BPA Exposure in Fetal Livers
University of Michigan

New research from the University of Michigan School of Public Health found BPA, or bisphenol A, in fetal liver tissue, demonstrating that there is considerable exposure to the chemical during pregnancy.

Released: 3-Dec-2012 1:00 PM EST
Voyager 1 Cruising on a ‘Magnetic Highway’
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft has encountered a new region on the outskirts of our solar system that appears to be a magnetic highway for charged particles. Scientists believe this is the final region Voyager has to cross before reaching interstellar space, or the space between stars.

29-Nov-2012 10:00 AM EST
Food Allergies? Pesticides in Tap Water Might be to Blame
American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI)

A new study published in the December issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology finds chemicals used for water purification can lead to food allergies.

Released: 30-Nov-2012 2:00 PM EST
Native Americans and Northern Europeans More Closely Related Than Previously Thought
Genetics Society of America

Using genetic analyses, scientists have discovered that Northern European populations descend from a mixture of two very different ancestral populations, and one of these populations is related to Native Americans.

Released: 29-Nov-2012 8:00 AM EST
Consumers Develop Complex Relationships with Celebrities to Construct Identity
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

A new study by a marketing researcher at the University of Arkansas and her colleague in the United Kingdom suggests that consumers take an active role in using celebrities to construct identity and self-image.

   
Released: 26-Nov-2012 9:00 AM EST
Bothered by Negative, Unwanted Thoughts? Just Throw Them Away
Ohio State University

If you want to get rid of unwanted, negative thoughts, try just ripping them up and tossing them in the trash.

Released: 20-Nov-2012 9:40 AM EST
Thousands of Natural Gas Leaks Discovered in Boston
Boston University College of Arts and Sciences

The City of Boston is riddled with more than 3,000 leaks from its aging natural-gas pipeline system, according to a new study by researchers at Boston (BU) and Duke Universities.

Released: 19-Nov-2012 4:20 PM EST
Astronomers Pin Down Origins of “Mile Markers” for Expansion of Universe
Ohio State University

A study using a unique new instrument on the world’s largest optical telescope has revealed the likely origins of especially bright supernovae that astronomers use as easy-to-spot “mile markers” to measure the expansion and acceleration of the universe.

14-Nov-2012 10:00 AM EST
Brazilian Mediums Shed Light on Brain Activity During a Trance State
Thomas Jefferson University

Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University and the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil analyzed the cerebral blood flow (CBF) of Brazilian mediums during the practice of psychography, described as a form of writing whereby a deceased person or spirit is believed to write through the medium’s hand. The new research revealed intriguing findings of decreased brain activity during mediumistic dissociative state which generated complex written content. Their findings will appear in the November 16th edition of the online journal PLOS ONE.

Released: 15-Nov-2012 6:00 PM EST
Oldest Spear Points Date to 500,000 Years
Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

A collaborative study involving researchers at Arizona State University, the University of Toronto, and the University of Cape Town found that human ancestors were making stone-tipped weapons 500,000 years ago at the South African archaeological site of Kathu Pan 1 – 200,000 years earlier than previously thought. This study, “Evidence for Early Hafted Hunting Technology,” is published in the Nov. 16 issue of the journal Science.

Released: 15-Nov-2012 1:00 PM EST
NASA's Great Observatories Find Candidate for Most Distant Galaxy
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

By combining the power of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and one of nature's own natural "zoom lenses" in space, astronomers have set a new distance record for finding the farthest galaxy yet seen in the universe.

Released: 15-Nov-2012 10:00 AM EST
Health Reform Could Provide More Than a Million Women with Access to Potentially Life Saving Tests for Breast and Cervical Cancer
George Washington University

WASHINGTON—A study by researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) indicates that full implementation of the Affordable Care Act would expand health insurance coverage for more low-income women, enabling more than a million women to obtain potentially life-saving screening for breast and cervical cancer. The study, “Health Care Reform and Women’s Insurance Coverage for Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening,” was published in a recent issue of the journal Preventing Chronic Disease.

8-Nov-2012 3:10 PM EST
Exposure to Light at Night May Cause Depression, Learning Issues
 Johns Hopkins University

Exposure to too much bright light at night may increase the risk of depression and cognitive issues.

13-Nov-2012 7:00 AM EST
Astronomers Find “Homeless” Planet Wandering Through Space
Universite de Montreal

A planet that is not orbiting a star, effectively making it homeless, has been discovered by a team of University of Montreal (UdeM) researchers working with European colleagues and data provided by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) and the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT).

Released: 7-Nov-2012 12:20 PM EST
Giant Pterosaur Needed Cliffs, Downward-Sloping Runways to Taxi, Awkwardly Take Off into Air
Texas Tech University

Quetzalcoatlus pushed the very boundaries of size to the brink, considered the largest flying animal yet to be discovered. Any larger, and it would have had to walk. But its bulk caused researchers to wonder how such a heavy animal with relatively flimsy wings became airborne.

Released: 7-Nov-2012 8:00 AM EST
Best and Worst Communication Moments of the 2012 Presidential Campaign
National Communication Association

Members of The National Communication Association, who study political communication, can provide insight into the best and worst messages and one-liners of the 2012 presidential campaign.



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