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Washington Post (May 5)
Breast-Feeding May Boost IQ
One expert thinks it's the nutrients in mothers' milk -- which aren't found in other foods -- that are essential for brain development and increased IQ. "I'm not surprised because many studies have had similar results," said Dr. Ruth Lawrence, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics executive committee section on breast-feeding. "It's wonderful to have this very large study to confirm what we've known or thought for a long time." (Also reported by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes)

Democrat and Chronicle (May 2)
Whiz kids score big for UR at tourney
It may not be the Final Four or Frozen Four, but the University of Rochester's victory in College Bowl national championship was just as dramatic. Instead of sure-fire jumpshots or supreme puck control, the College Bowl rewards teams with wide-ranging knowledge and quick recall. UR's victory at the tournament in St. Paul, Minn., last weekend is a notable achievement.

Democrat and Chronicle (April 23)
Election insights on display at UR
Utica-based pollster John Zogby avoided hard-and-fast predictions Tuesday evening with hours to go until polls closed in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary. "What you're about to hear is for entertainment purposes only," the founder of Zogby International joked as he took the podium in front of a standing-room-only crowd at University of Rochester's Rush Rhees Library.

U.S. News & World Report (April 22)
Common Chemotherapy Drug Linked to Memory Problems
Researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York and Harvard Medical School say they've discovered how the chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil -- or 5-FU -- affects the central nervous system even long after treatment ends. The hope is this discovery will lead to ways to decrease or eliminate the damage so cognitive functioning is preserved. "What we found is the damage done short-term is much less than the damage that occurs long-term," said Mark Noble, senior author of the study published in the April 22 issue of the Journal of Biology. "After the drug is stopped, the cellular damage gets worse. (Also reported by BusinessWeek, New Scientist UK, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Austin American-Statesman Texas, China Post Taiwan, NewKerala.com India and others)

Rochester Business Journal (April 15)
Mulcahy to speak at UR commencement
Anne Mulcahy, chairman and CEO of Xerox Corp. and one of the most powerful women in the world, will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree and give the commencement address for the College of Arts, Sciences and Engineering at the University of Rochester on May 18.

U.S. News & World Report (April 14)
E-Sharp Human

A physicist by training, Mark Bocko and his graduate students in Rochester's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering are working with music professor Dave Headlam to solve the problem by getting back to basics—that is, capitalizing on the flesh-and-blood limitations of mortal humans.

U.S. News & World Report (April 10)
Researchers Pursuing Nasal Anthrax Vaccine
American researchers have developed a nasal spray anthrax vaccine that provides protection against the potentially deadly bacterium, at least in mice. "This study is an early stage study," said one of the authors, Mingtao Zeng, an assistant professor in the department of microbiology and immunology at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. "It can be administered through the mucosa, and it generated an immune response and protected against anthrax. We're very excited about this." (Also reported by Washington Post, Forbes, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Austin American-Statesman Texas and others)

Scientific American (April 8)
Computer Takes Clarinet Lessons
Benny Goodman earned his title "The King of Swing" as a virtuoso of the clarinet. But now a computer in upstate New York has learned to rip him off. Researchers at the University of Rochester recently unveiled their computerized clarinet, which you’re hearing. It listens to a clarinet solo and figures out how hard the player was blowing, his lip pressure on the mouthpiece and his finger position. The virtual clarinet player uses this information to reproduce the solo on its virtual clarinet, a synthesizer based on the physics of the clarinet.

New York Times (April 2)
Overweight Kids Have Fewer Cavities
Overweight children have healthier teeth than normal weight kids, a new study shows. The surprising finding, published this month in the journal Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, comes from researchers at the Eastman Dental Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center. They analyzed data from nearly 18,000 children who participated in two separate major surveys that were part of the large and ongoing National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.



"We expected to find more oral disease in overweight children of all ages, given the similar causal factors that are generally associated with obesity and caries," said Eastman Dental Center's Dr. Dorota Kopycka-Kedzierawski, the lead author. "Our findings raise more questions than answers. Research to analyze both diet and lifestyle is needed to better understand the results." (Also reported by Xinhua China, People's Daily Online China, The Cheers Estonia, Thaindian.comThailand, Top News India)

NPR (March 31)
'Prosperity Gospel' Churches' Spending Reports Due
Monday is the deadline for some popular mega-churches to report to Congress on how they spend their money. These churches all preach wealth as an essential part of faith. Steve Inskeep speaks with University of Rochester Religion Professor Anthea Butler about "prosperity gospel."