Scientists use gene therapy to improve memory and learning in animals
...t in the rat's brain. The new gene then transforms harmful corticoids into helpful estrogens--a process that should hypothetically block the animal's negative behavioral response to stress. To make sure that natural estrogen wasn't a factor, the experiment was restricted to male rats only. Every rat was t...A silent pandemic: Industrial chemicals are impairing the brain development of children worldwide
...mercury toxicity, $8.7 billion each year. "Other harmful consequences from lead exposure include shortened attention spans, slowed motor coordination and heightened aggressiveness, which can lead to problems in school and diminished economic productivity as an adult. And the consequences of childhood neuro...Male contraception: One door opens, another closes
...only much higher doses are effective--but they are harmful to the body's organs. Dr. Diana Blithe of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, a long-time funder of the Adjudin research, says that "This [new breakthrough] is what they were looking for and it looks like it's working." The next step is to f...Early Earth haze may have spurred life, says University of Colorado study
...er Earth could have shielded living organisms from harmful UV rays and helped to regulate Earth's early climate, according to the study. The haze may have contributed to the geologic record on Earth by depositing organic carbon into some of the planet's most ancient rocks, said Alexander Pavlov, a study co-...Accelerating loss of ocean species threatens human well-being
...nerable to invasive species, disease outbreaks and harmful algal blooms. Many of the economic activities along our coasts rely on diverse systems and the healthy waters they supply. "The ocean is a great recycler," said Palumbi, "It takes sewage and recycles it into nutrients, it scrubs toxins out of the w...UC given $1 million to develop skin cancer prevention treatment
...would not only increase skin pigmentation to block harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, but also repair damage that can lead to skin cancer. The researchers will work with a chemically modified hormone called alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH). Known to increase skin pigmentation--the "tan" that r...By 2048 all current fish, seafood species projected to collapse
... appeared to increase the risks of beach closures, harmful algal blooms (red tide, for example), oxygen depletion, fish kills and coastal flooding. "The good news is that it is not too late to turn things around," Worm said. The scientists studied 48 areas worldwide that have been protected to improve marin...Salt intake is strongly associated with obesity
...epeated warnings of various industries on possible harmful effects of comprehensive salt reduction are unjustified and even unethical"....Adults who go to bed lonely get stress hormone boost next morning
...ls, that long-term elevations could be potentially harmful to physical health. But in the short term the stress hormone is adaptive and helpful, according to Adam. "Cortisol helps us respond to stressful experiences and do something about them," she said. "It is necessary for survival -- fluctuations in th...Insights into honey bee sex gene could bring sweet success in breeding
...er some advantage are favored, and those that have harmful effects are weeded out. Typically, this results in one version of a gene becoming very common and other versions becoming rare or disappearing altogether. When balancing selection operates, however, natural selection favors a diverse mix of alleles, ...Space radiation threats to astronauts addressed in federal research study
...ue of "storm shelters" to protect astronauts from harmful radiation, which can be built both inside spacecra...mounts of hydrogen, a proven buffer for mitigating harmful radiation, he said. Plastic polymers containing large amounts of hydrogen also might be a potentia...ACS News Service Weekly PressPac -- Oct. 18, 2006
...ing closer toward stopping some of bacteria's most harmful effects, according to the article. ARTICLE #5"Bacterial Conversations" FOR FULL TEXT CONTACT: Michael Bernstein ACS News Service Phone: 202-872-6042 Fax: 202-872-4370 Email: m_bernstein@acs.org National Meeting Resources A treasure trove...'Fruit fly dating game' provides clues to our reproductive prowess
... Chippindale. "Sexually antagonistic genes, may be harmful or compromise fitness by reducing fertility of the opposite sex." Dr. Chippindale suggests that this phenomenon may operate in far more organisms than the fruit fly. "If there are genes which have effects that feminize or masculinize each individua...Researchers report initial success in promising approach to prevent tooth decay
...hi said new STAMPs that seek out other potentially harmful bacterial species could be generated in a matter of days. He said all that is needed is the full DNA sequence of a microbe, a unique homing sequence from a pheromone, and an appropriate anti-microbial peptide. "We have a collection of anti-microbia......ded $147,721 to develop a rapid detection tool for harmful algal blooms (HABs), by the Cooperative Institute ...s is intensifying as the frequency and duration of harmful bloom occurrences continues to grow. Diaz and other researchers will be building on a previous CICE...Scientists identify switch for brain's natural anti-oxidant defense
...n in brain cells, as well as exploring whether any harmful side effects might result. PGC-1a is a transcriptional co-activator discovered in Spiegelman's Dana-Farber laboratory in 1998. It has subsequently been found to play a master regulatory role in metabolic processes and muscle function, as well as bein...Grape seed extract halts cell cycle, checking growth of colorectal tumors in mice
...ins, a class of antioxidant flavonoids that remove harmful free oxygen radicals from cells. Grape products (juice and red wine) are known for their heart healthy effects, especially in lowering levels of blood cholesterol, Agarwal said, and because grape seeds contain higher concentrations of these chemicals...New research to cut animal testing
...ting on live animals to establish whether they are harmful or not. Dr Richard Walmsley and colleagues at the University spin-out company he founded, Gentronix, have developed techniques using cultured human cells to more effectively weed out cancer-causing compounds. "The current pre-animal tests that are ...Caterpillars tell us how bacteria cause disease
...other research teams across the UK to screen other harmful bacteria using RVA in an attempt to identify genes which could be possible vaccine targets to prevent disease outbreaks in the future. Professor Julia Goodfellow, BBSRC Chief Executive, said: "This sort of genomics research is crucial in moving fo...'Protecting virus' offers instant flu protection and converts flu infections into their own vaccines
...fluenza infection rates to such an extent that the harmful infection becomes a vaccine against that very form...t of an influenza infection to such an extent that harmful infections are transformed into a vaccine against that form of influenza. 'Protecting virus' has a...