Body

A potential new strategy to face dementia

Ancona, Italy, 8 October 2013 – Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects millions of people worldwide. As a result of an increase in life expectancy, the number of patients with dementia is expected to increase dramatically. Due to the lack of effective treatments that can slow down or reverse the progression of AD, preventive measures to lower the prevalence rate of AD by means of managing potential or actual risk factors is a reasonable clinical strategy.

No viral cause for breast cancer and brain tumors

A major study conducted at the Sahlgrenska Academy has now disproved theories of a viral cause for breast cancer and the brain tumour, glioblastoma. The study, which was based on over seven billion DNA sequences and which is published in Nature Communications, found no genetic traces of viruses in these forms of cancer.

Something in the (expecting mother's) water

Pregnant women living in areas with contaminated drinking water may be more likely to have babies that are premature or with low birth weights (considered less than 5.5 pounds), according to a study based at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

Study shows snacking on almonds decreased appetite without increasing body weight

MODESTO, Calif., Oct. 8, 2013 -- A new study published in the October issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that study participants eating 1.5 ounces of dry-roasted, lightly salted almonds every day experienced reduced hunger and improved dietary vitamin E and monounsaturated ("good") fat intake without increasing body weight.[i]

Metabolically engineered E. coli producing phenol

Many chemicals we use in everyday life are derived from fossil resources. Due to the increasing concerns on the use of fossil resources, there has been much interest in producing chemicals from renewable resources through biotechnology.

Iron melt network helped grow Earth's core, Stanford study suggests

The same process that allows water to trickle through coffee grinds to create your morning espresso may have played a key role in the formation of the early Earth and influenced its internal organization, according to a new study by scientists at Stanford's School of Earth Sciences.

Sunscreen saves superhero gene

Next time your kids complain about putting on sunscreen, tell them this: Sunscreen shields a superhero gene that protects them from getting cancer.

It is widely accepted that sunscreen stops you from getting burnt but to date there has been academic debate about the effectiveness of sunscreen in preventing skin cancers.

Now QUT has undertaken a world-first human study to assess the impact of sunscreen at the molecular level.

Making the most of what you have

We generally do not devote much time to worrying about the problems faced by viruses, although understanding them may provide clues on how to combat diseases. Viruses rely on the machinery of the host cell but must supply specific functions via their own proteins and RNA molecules. All of these need to be coded in as little genetic material as possible, so it is often the case that a single viral protein is able, indeed required, to undertake a number of different tasks.

Evolutionary question answered: Ants more closely related to bees than to most wasps

Ants and bees are surprisingly more genetically related to each other than they are to social wasps such as yellow jackets and paper wasps, a team of University of California, Davis, scientists has discovered. The groundbreaking research is available online and will be published Oct. 21 in the print version of the journal Current Biology.

Emerging applications of Bio-Rad's Droplet Digital™ PCR Technology highlighted at the 2013 Digital PCR Conference

Hercules, CA — October 7, 2013 — Since its introduction in 2011, Bio-Rad Laboratory's Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR™) technology has demonstrated the potential to be a transformative technology, particularly in clinical applications. At the second annual CHI Digital PCR Conference in San Diego, CA, Oct.

Rural land use policies curb wildfire risks -- to a point

PULLMAN, Wash.—Using Montana's fast-growing Flathead County as a template, a Washington State University researcher has found that moderately restrictive land-use policies can significantly curb the potential damage of rural wildfires. However, highly restrictive planning laws will not do much more.

New study shows link between car crashes and adverse pregnancy outcomes

San Diego, CA, October 8, 2013 – A new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine indicates that motor vehicle crashes can be hazardous for pregnant women, especially if they are not wearing a seat belt when the accident occurs.

Evaluating mobile weight loss apps on use of evidence-based behavioral strategies

WORCESTER, MA -- In a new study published by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, UMass Medical School behavioral psychologist and weight loss expert Sherry Pagoto, PhD, and colleagues find that mobile apps to help people lose weight are lacking when it comes to strategies for changing behaviors.

"Apps do include evidence-based behavioral strategies, but only a narrow range," said Dr. Pagoto, associate professor of medicine at UMass Medical School. "Strategies that often were missing are ones that help patients with adherence and motivation."

Unexpected genomic change through 400 years of French-Canadian history

Researchers at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center and University of Montreal have discovered that the genomic signature inherited by today's 6 million French Canadians from the first 8,500 French settlers who colonized New France some 400 years ago has gone through an unparalleled change in human history, in a remarkably short timescale. This unique signature could serve as an ideal model to study the effect of demographic processes on human genetic diversity, including the identification of possibly damaging mutations associated with population-specific diseases.

Malaria vaccine candidate reduces disease over 18 months of follow-up in phase 3 children's study

Multilateral Initiative on Malaria Pan African Conference, Durban, South Africa — Results from a large-scale Phase III trial, presented today in Durban, show that the most clinically advanced malaria vaccine candidate, RTS,S, continued to protect young children and infants from clinical malaria up to 18 months after vaccination. Based on these data, GSK now intends to submit, in 2014, a regulatory application to the European Medicines Agency (EMA).