Tobacco smokers who eat three servings of fruits and vegetables per day and drink green or black tea may be protecting themselves from lung cancer, according to a first-of-its-kind study by cancer researchers. The study is the first to find that plant components called flavonoids may prevent the disease.
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Scientists have looked at the problem of understanding the regulatory mechanisms that create different cells from a single template by using the olfactory system of the fruit fly. The ability to discriminate odors depends on receptor cells expressing different patterns of receptor genes, despite each cell having the same genes. Receptor patterns are controlled by DNA sequences upstream of the receptor genes.
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During menopause, lack of estrogens increases the risk of suffering cardiovascular diseases. Menopause is a natural period in the aging process of a woman. On ceasing the ovary function, the body gradually stops producing eggs and female sex hormones (amongst these being estrogen and progesterone), responsible for regulating the menstrual cycle. Lack of estrogens increases the risk of very important diseases with respect to premenopause, amongst these being osteoporosis and illnesses related to the cardiovascular system.
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In 2003, haddock on Georges Bank experienced the largest baby boom ever documented for the stock, with an estimated 800 million new young fish entering the population. With typical annual averages of 50 to 100 million new fish in the last few decades, fisheries biologists have been puzzled by the huge increase and its ramifications for stock management. They have been looking for answers and may have found one — healthy adults.
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In findings published electronically in Molecular Psychiatry, researchers found polymorphisms in inflammation-related genes that are associated with susceptibility to major depression and antidepressant response. Two genes critical for T-cell function in the immune system have been associated with susceptibility for major depressive disorder and antidepressant treatment response: PSMB4 (proteasome beta 4 subunit) and TBX21 (T-bet).
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Spider silks are incredibly stretchy, but are they stretchy like elastic or springs? The answer lies in their amino acid content. Spider silks are made from proteins, and biologists have just discovered that the secret lies in the silk protein’s amino acid content. Spider silks with high proline contents behave like elastic rubber bands, while spider silks with low proline content behave like stretchy springs.
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Nautilus, the ancient living ancestors of modern cephalopods, have both long and short-term memory, despite lacking the brain structures that modern cephalopods evolved for long-term memory.
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A new study provides important new insights into the process of viral infection. The study reveals certain mechanisms by which mimivirus — a virus so called because it was originally thought to mimic bacteria in various aspects of their behavior — invades amoeba cells. Living cells become infected by viruses in two steps. First, the virus penetrates the cell. Next, in the second and crucial step, the cell starts producing new viruses, which spread and infect additional cells. At the beginning of this production process, the cell makes the outer wall of the virus, which is a container of sorts composed of proteins and known as the capsid. The cell then makes copies of viral DNA and inserts it into the capsid. The result is a new, functioning virus that is ready to leave the host cell and infect more cells.
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A new study found a strong connection between the cognitive function of their elderly study participants and their postural stability — or balance. In the study, a questionnaire designed to probe cognitive function proved effective at identifying people with poorer balance.
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The notion that talking on a cell phone while driving a car isn’t safe seems obvious, yet what happens in the brain while it juggles the two tasks is not. A new study provides a better understanding of why language — talking and listening, including on a cell phone — interferes with visual tasks, such as driving.
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