Body

Cancer-killing cells are caught on film in more 3-D detail than ever before

Scientists reveal in more detail than ever before how white blood cells kill diseased tissue using deadly granules, in research published today in PLoS Biology.

Blackout level alcoholics more likely to die in house fires

PISCATAWAY, NJ – People who drink heavily may increase their risk of dying in house fires that should otherwise have been escapable, a new study suggests.

The findings, reported in the September issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, highlight one of the less-recognized dangers of downing too much alcohol -- especially in combination with smoking.

This world: More women dying from breast and cervical cancer at a younger age

Merck could not have bought a study this good about their GARDASIL® vaccine - turns out they didn't need to.

A new analysis says the number of cases and deaths from breast and cervical cancer are rising, especially in the developing world where more women are dying at younger ages, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.

Researchers develop mouse genetic blueprint

Researchers have developed a valuable mouse genetic blueprint that will accelerate future research and understanding of human genetics. The international team, led by researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and the University of Oxford, explains in two papers published in Nature on 14 September 2011 how they decoded and compared the genome sequence of 17 mouse strains.

It's all about autonomy: Consumers react negatively when prompted to think about money

Whether they are aware of it or not, consumers dislike being reminded of money—so much that they will rebel against authority figures, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

Downwardly mobile: When consumer decisions are influenced by people with lower socioeconomic status

People assume that consumers are influenced by celebrities and high-status individuals, but according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, it may be the janitor or the security guard who makes you want to run out and purchase the latest gadget.

Sickle cell trait is not risk factor for kidney disease

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Sept. 13, 2011 – Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center report that sickle cell trait is not a risk factor for the development of severe kidney disease in African-Americans. This study, published in the August online issue of Kidney International, contradicts findings from a 2010 study that first suggested that having one copy of the sickle cell gene was a kidney disease risk factor.

Money (and products) can literally make your mouth water

In certain situations, people actually salivate when they desire material things, like money and sports cars, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

Old-growth rainforests must be saved for tropical biodiversity

A team of researchers from Singapore, Australia, Switzerland, the UK and the USA has carried out a comprehensive assessment to estimate the impact of disturbance and land conversion on biodiversity in tropical forests. In a recent study published in Nature, they found that primary forests – those least disturbed old-growth forests – sustain the highest levels of biodiversity and are vital to many tropical species.

'Synthetic' chromosome permits repid, on-demand 'evolution' of yeast

In the quest to understand genomes—how they're built, how they're organized and what makes them work—a team of Johns Hopkins researchers has engineered from scratch a computer-designed yeast chromosome and incorporated into their creation a new system that lets scientists intentionally rearrange the yeast's genetic material. A report of their work appears September 14 as an Advance Online Publication in the journal Nature.

ORNL invention unravels mystery of protein folding

OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sept. 14, 2011 -- An Oak Ridge National Laboratory invention able to quickly predict three-dimensional structure of protein could have huge implications for drug discovery and human health.

Scientists crack sparse genome of microbe linked to autoimmunity

Scientists have deciphered the genome of a bacterium implicated as a key player in regulating the immune system of mice. The genomic analysis provides the first glimpse of its unusually sparse genetic blueprint and offers hints about how it may activate a powerful immune response that protects mice from infection but also spurs harmful inflammation.

Accidental sea turtle deaths drop 90 percent in US fisheries

DURHAM, N.C. -- The number of sea turtles accidentally caught and killed in fishing gear in United States coastal waters has declined by an estimated 90 percent since 1990, according to a new study by researchers at Duke University Project GloBAL and Conservation International.

The report, published in the scientific journal Biological Conservation, credits the dramatic drop to measures that have been put into place over the last 20 years to reduce bycatch in many fisheries, as well as to overall declines in U.S. fishing activity.

Consumers willing to pay premium for healthier genetically modified foods: ISU study

AMES, Iowa – Consumers are eager to get their hands on, and teeth into, foods that are genetically modified to increase health benefits – and even pay more for the opportunity.

A study by Iowa State University researcher Wallace Huffman shows that when consumers are presented with produce enhanced with consumer traits through intragenic means, they will pay significantly more than for plain produce.

The research is published in the current issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics

Woolly mammoth's secrets for shrugging off cold points toward new artificial blood for humans

The blood from woolly mammoths—those extinct elephant-like creatures that roamed the Earth in pre-historic times—is helping scientists develop new blood products for modern medical procedures that involve reducing patients' body temperature. The report appears in ACS' journal Biochemistry.