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A new paper published October 27 in PLoS ONE, the online, open-access scientific journal, unveils for the first time a method to accurately distinguish between all eight tuna species from any kind of processed tissue using genetic sequencing.

Tunas are among the most economically valuable and yet the most endangered commercially exploited fish in the world.

The number of Down's syndrome pregnancies has risen sharply over the last 20 years as women have opted to have children later, according to new research published in the British Medical Journal*.

Over the same period, there have been major improvements in pre-natal screening for the condition and an increase in the number of women being screened.

This means the overall number of babies being born with Down's syndrome has remained almost level at around 750 babies each year.

Cornell researchers have discovered a genetic mechanism in fruit flies that prevents two closely related species from reproducing, a finding that offers clues to how species evolve.

When two populations of a species become geographically isolated from each other, their genes diverge from one another over time.

Eventually, when a male from one group mates with a female from the other group, the offspring will die or be born sterile, as crosses between horses and donkeys produce sterile mules. At this point, they have become two distinct species.

Your genetic make up may predispose you to drink more but may not increase your genetic risk for alcoholism (alcohol dependence). Research published in the open access journal, BMC Biology, pinpoints genetic pathways and genes associated with levels of alcohol consumption but not with alcohol dependence in rats and humans.

High temperatures, humidity and low wind speed are associated with high occurrence of dengue fever according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Public Health.

The number of diagnoses of Down's syndrome has increased by almost three quarters (71%) from 1989/90 to 2007/08, largely due to the considerable increase in the number of older mothers over this period. However, the number of babies born with this condition during the same period fell by 1% because of antenatal screening and subsequent terminations, finds research published on bmj.com today.

Homeless and marginally housed people have much higher mortality and shorter life expectancy than could be expected on the basis of low income alone, concludes a study from Canada published on bmj.com today.

Previous studies have found high levels of excess mortality among the homeless compared with the general population, but little information is available on death rates among homeless and marginally housed people living in low-cost collective dwellings, such as rooming houses and hotels.

• Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is essential for numerous developmental processes involving biological cells.
• New findings indicate that alcohol may promote cancer progression by stimulating EMT.
• This has implications for both cancer prevention and therapy.

• Mexican researchers examined the polymorphisms of three enzymes – alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH1B), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) and cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) – in the Mestizo and Huichol groups.
• The Huichols, an indigenous group, had the highest CYP2E1*c2 allele frequency documented in the world.
• This high frequency, in conjunction with the absence of protective ADH1B and ALDH2 polymorphisms, may place the Huichols at particularly high genetic risk for alcoholism and alcoholic liver disease.

• A genetic study has examined the association between a polymorphism of the µ-opioid receptor (OPRM1) gene and alcohol misuse among adolescents.
• Results suggest that teens who carry the G allele (A118G) of the OPRM1 gene are at increased risk for alcohol problems because they experience alcohol as more pleasurable or rewarding than teens without A118G.

Jewish survivors of World War II who were potentially exposed to the Holocaust are at higher risk for cancer occurrence, according to a new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Previous studies in non-Jewish populations investigating the relationship of cancer incidence rates to physical and psychological stress, such as famine and mental stress, have reached similar results.

A national survey of physicians' experience with hospital chaplains found that the vast majority of doctors were satisfied with the spiritual services provided. Physicians in the Northeast and those with a dim view of religion's effects on patients, however, were less likely to be pleased.

Heart attacks appear to have become more common in middle-aged women over the past two decades, but all women and especially those younger than 55 have recently experienced a greater increase than men in their chances of survival following such a heart event, according to two reports in the October 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Men and women become gradually less fit with age, with declines accelerating after age 45, according to a report in the October 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. However, maintaining a healthy body mass index (BMI), not smoking and being physically active are associated with higher fitness levels throughout adult life.

Enrolling in a weight loss program with a family member or friend appears to enhance weight loss among African Americans, but only if the involved partner attends sessions frequently or also loses weight, according to a report in the October 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.