Body

DNA, which stores genetic information in the majority of organisms on Earth, is not easily destroyed. It readily absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation, but finds ways to recover.

A new species of toothy pterosaur is a native of Texas whose closest relative is from England.

The new 94-million-year-old species, named Cimoliopterus dunni, is strikingly similar to England's Cimoliopterus cuvieri.

Identification of the new flying reptile links prehistoric Texas to England, says paleontologist Timothy S. Myers, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, who identified the fossil as a new species.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) virus was first detected in the U.S. in 1987. Pigs who contract the disease have extreme difficulty reproducing, don't gain weight and have a high mortality rate. To date, no vaccine has been effective, and the disease costs North American farmers more than $660 million annually. Now, a team of researchers from the University of Missouri, Kansas State University, and Genus plc have bred pigs that are not harmed by the disease.

Ground-breaking new Danish research has shown that the current scientific description of the human cell cycle needs to be revised. These findings could also lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches to target an Achilles' heel in different types of cancers.

Mink that are confident by nature are easier for the mink farmer to work with. They also get less stressed when handled. These are two good reasons why mink farmers include this trait when selecting animals for breeding. A study from Aarhus University now shows that there is yet another benefit of breeding confident mink: They have a better fur quality.

The same study also shows that mink behaviour is a more heritable trait than hitherto believed. A high heritability means there is a good chance of increasing this trait in the mink stock.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- For bacteria that swim, determining whether to stay the course or head in a new direction is vital to survival. A new study offers atomic-level details of the molecular machinery that allows swimming bacteria to sense their environment and change direction when needed.

In natural microbial communities, different bacterial species often exchange nutrients by releasing amino acids and vitamins into their growth environment, thus feeding other bacterial cells. Even though the released nutrients are energetically costly to produce, bacteria benefit from nutrients their bacterial partners provide in return. Hence, this process is a cooperative exchange of metabolites.

An international research partnership is revealing the first mosasaur fossil of its kind to be discovered in Japan. Not only does the 72-million-year-old marine reptile fossil fill a biogeographical gap between the Middle East and the eastern Pacific, but also it holds new revelations because of its superior preservation. This unique swimming lizard, now believed to have hunted on glowing fish and squids at night, is detailed in an article led by Takuya Konishi, a University of Cincinnati assistant professor of biological sciences.

BOSTON, MA, and OAKLAND, CA (Dec. 8, 2015) - Treatment with the antiplatelet agent prasugrel does not significantly reduce the rate of pain crises or severe lung complications in children with sickle cell disease, according to a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine describing one of the largest and most geographically diverse international clinical trials on sickle cell disease to date.

CHICAGO --- Children with allergic disease, particularly asthma and hay fever, have about twice the rate of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, setting them on a course for heart disease at a surprisingly early age, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

Even when the study controlled for obesity, children with allergic disease had a much higher risk for high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

The conclusions of a systematic review of hundreds of studies contradict the most common static stretching findings from the last 15 years. This research is available today in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism and the findings have been endorsed by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP), Canada's resource and voice for exercise physiology and health & fitness.

Children born to mothers with polycystic ovarian syndrome, PCOS, are at an increased risk of developing autism spectrum disorders, according to a new epidemiological study from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet. The findings, which are published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, support the notion that exposure to sex hormones early in life may be important for the development of autism in both sexes.

Chicago - Poor kidney function prior to heart surgery can lead to worse outcomes, higher surgical costs, and a longer hospital stay, according to an article posted online today by The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

Key Points

Chicago - The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has released new clinical practice guidelines that recommend expanding the use of arteries from the chest and forearm rather than using veins from the leg when performing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery in certain patients. The guidelines, posted online today, will appear in the February 2016 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

Boston, MA - Diacetyl, a flavoring chemical linked to cases of severe respiratory disease, was found in more than 75% of flavored electronic cigarettes and refill liquids tested by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Two other potentially harmful related compounds were also found in many of the tested flavors, which included varieties with potential appeal to young people such as Cotton Candy, Fruit Squirts, and Cupcake.