Giving up your regular late-night snack may be hard, and not just because it’s a routine. The habit may genetically change an area of the brain to expect the food at that time, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered. By training mice to eat at a time when they normally wouldn’t, the researchers found that food turns on body-clock genes in a particular area of the brain. Even when the food stopped coming, the genes continued to activate at the expected mealtime.
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Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, but a new blood test that shows 90 percent accuracy could save lives by identifying it years earlier than current imaging techniques. The test would benefit those with high risk factors such as age, smoking and genetic history. The test is now being transformed into an easy-to-use format for clinicians, and could become the first blood test to predict cancer since the PSA test was introduced in the 1970s.
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Scientists are working to boost the vitamin C content of blackcurrants in a move that would be a major benefit to consumers and farmers. Researchers have tracked the production and storage of vitamin C in blackcurrant bushes and are now studying the factors that determine the levels of the nutrient. Working out how to boost the vitamin C content of blackcurrants would help to promote consumption of the vital nutrient and also improve juice quality.
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A small but informative clinical trial by Johns Hopkins investigators shows that a pill combining chemicals found in turmeric, a spice used in curries, and onions reduces both the size and number of precancerous lesions in the human intestinal tract.
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Nonaquatic vertebrates endemic to tidal marshes are almost all found in North America, where their habitat is shrinking because of coastal development and rising sea levels, among other threats.
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Mississippi State University researchers are using a $1.5 million federal grant to implement an innovative oil recovery process that could streamline U.S. production and help reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign energy sources.
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Mice that couldn’t be dissuaded from the object of their attention by a piece of sweet, crunchy cereal may help researchers find new treatments and cures for human disorders like autism and Parkinson’s disease. A psychiatric test for monitoring many human mental abnormalities has been adapted for use in mice, according to researchers at Purdue University, University of California-Davis and Justus-Liebig University in Giessen, Germany.
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UCLA researchers found that altering the fatty acid ratio found in the typical Western diet to include more omega-3 fatty acids and decreasing the amount of omega-6 fatty acids may reduce prostate cancer tumor growth rates and PSA levels. This initial animal model study is one of the first to show the impact of lowering an inflammatory response known to promote prostate cancer tumor progression.
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The most detailed study to date on the antiquity of the Maui’s extensive temple system challenges previous conceptions of ancient Hawaiian civilization by identifying cycles of temple construction that coincide with politically charged periods of warfare and island consolidation. The findings identify an important shift in temple construction from open-air temples used for ancestral worship to enclosed, more elaborate temples used for sacrificial offerings to war gods.
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The list of excuses for not brushing or flossing is endless, but according to a new study published in the Journal of Periodontology, these are two tasks that should not be omitted from the daily hygiene routine.
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