Our crops are not doing well these days: too much water, too little sunlight… In short, they are suffering from stress. Scientists have now revealed a mechanism demonstrating the ways in which plants deal with stress. The discovered control system has a remarkable way of orchestrating activity of hundreds of genes, forcing the plant into “safety mode.” This may have negative impact on growth, but allows the plant to temporarily safeguard itself against stress conditions. These findings also may prove to be valuable in understanding disorders such as cancer and diabetes.
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Monkeys seem to learn the same way as humans psychologists report in the journal Psychological Science. Like humans, monkeys benefit enormously from being actively involved in learning, instead of having information presented to them passively.
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A COX-2 inhibitor delays the progression of precancerous pancreatic lesions in mice, according to a new article. While inflammation has been shown to be a factor in many forms of cancer, the researchers say this is the first study to demonstrate the effect of an anti-inflammatory COX-2 inhibitor on the development of pancreatic cancer.
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Scientists have found a way to switch a material’s magnetic properties from “hard” to “soft” and back again — something which could lead to new ways of controlling electromagnetic devices. The research shows how a magnet can be “tuned” by subjecting it to a second magnetic field, perpendicular to the original.
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Researchers have developed a new technique that successfully treated rats for blindness caused by glaucoma. They previously determined that animals with glaucoma increase production of neurotrophins in an attempt to shield against blindness. They imitated that process in the laboratory, modifying bone marrow-derived stem cells and transplanting them into the eyes. Their experimental treatment will be used on dogs in the next year. If successful, it is expected to move to human trials.
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The variety of human papilloma viruses that cause invasive cervical cancer cases worldwide, are largely consistent across continents, according to a new study. This finding means that prophylactic vaccines currently available against these two most prevalent types of human papillomavirus (HPV) – which can cause cervical cancer – could prevent about 70 percent of invasive cervical cancer cases around the world, the researchers found.
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A therapeutic cancer vaccine has shown effectiveness when given alongside chemotherapy to patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in a phase II trial, according to new research. The study found that six of the 17 metastatic colorectal cancer patients in the study showed tumor shrinkage.
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Within the medical field, it is often assumed that patients view cholesterol-lowering medications (or statins) as a license to eat whatever they like — they figure their medication has them covered, so a steak here and there won’t hurt. However, a new study finds that such patients don’t tend to adopt unhealthy diets when prescribed statins.
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A new article reviews the history and rationale behind the effort to change pregnancy labeling, and calls for the immediate approval of new rules that have been proposed by the FDA.
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Researchers have discovered a unique molecular pathway that detects and selectively eliminates defective messenger RNAs from red blood cells. Knowing how this specific surveillance system works can help researchers better understand hereditary diseases.
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