Monell researchers find metabolic defect in liver that can lead to obesity
...is due to a reduced capacity to burn fat. Fat is one of the fuels that the bodys cells burn to provide energy. This process, known as fat oxidation, takes place inside mitochondria, the cells power plants for generating energy. If the ability to oxidize fat is impaired, the bodys capacity to make ...Radiation therapy combined with microsurgery shows promise for curing injured spinal cord
...surgery. When a midline incision was performed at one hour after injury, followed by localized radiation therapy given for ten days starting on day ten after injury, there was nearly a two-fold improvement in the bodys ability to heal the injured cord compared with untreated rats. This suggests that fl...Enzyme discovery sheds light on vitamin D
...c. Some species, including humans and rats, favour one pathway, while others most notably the opossum favour the other pathway. Using a technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, the researchers studied cells from animals in both categories. They changed the human enzyme in certain ke...Eat fish -- especially if you drink high levels of alcohol
...binge-drinking men have lower intakes of n-3 fats, one type of EFA. This low intake exacerbates the alrea...o binge drink have substandard intake of n-3 fats, one of two types of EFAs, indicating poor dietary choices with negative long-term health consequences. ...Faster-acting antidepressants closer to becoming a reality
... are receptors for the neurotransmitter glutamate, one of the chemical messengers that enable brain cells...compounds instead of ketamine to try to block just one part of the NMDA receptor, an even more precise target. These other compounds also reduced depressiv...Steroids, not songs, spur growth of brain regions in sparrows
...of Washington researchers have found evidence that one species of songbird apparently has something in co... directly stimulated by these hormones to grow and one day such hormones might possibly help repair brain damage caused by strokes or neurodegenerative dis...Bumblebees make bee line for gardens, National Bumblebee Nest Survey finds
...han 700 volunteers surveyed their own gardens plus one of six different countryside habitats for bumblebee nests. They found that gardens contain the highest densities of bumblebee nests (36 nests per ha), followed by hedgerows, fence lines and woodland edges (20-37 nests/ha). Nest densities were lower i...American Chemical Society's Weekly PressPac -- July 18, 2007
...oplet demonstrated a primitive form of chemotaxis, one of the most basic cellular responses in which the ...tained, forward movement, a development that could one day provide the basis for giving artificial cells the ability to move. To view video, CLICK HERE (Co...Fruit fly gene from 'out of nowhere' is discovered
...insert themselves into DNA sequences. For example, one theory is that when a transposon sits next to a gene and then jumps to a new location, it carries part of the gene sequence it was next to and inserts it in the new location. Often, transposable elements appear to have no function or may be harmful a...UB scientist discovers novel iron-copper alliance
...Health Professions, have learned that iron is only one half of an all-important duo of trace minerals -- the other being copper -- that work in tandem to maintain proper iron balance, or homeostasis. It appears the workhorse has a helper. James F. Collins, Ph.D., UB assistant professor of exercise and nu...Neurons for numerosity: Parietal neurons 'sum up' individual items in a group
... any child knows, to answer the question how many, one must start by adding up individual objects in a group. This cognitive ability is shared by animals as diverse as humans and birds. Surprisingly, the exact brain mechanisms responsible for this process remained unknown until now. This week in the onli...N.C. A&T food scientist develops process for allergen-free peanuts
... doubled in the United States. Today, an estimated one percent of all children suffer from the allergy. Life can be stressful for families with peanut sensitive children, who must take extraordinary precautions to prevent contact with even small traces of peanuts or peanut dust. Tracking, record-keepin...1 in 4 NYC adults has elevated blood mercury levels
...ged women nationally (0.83 g/L). Approximately one quarter of New York City women in this age group h...ge of three fish meals per week, compared to about one among New Yorkers overall. About one quarter of Chinese New Yorkers eat fish five or more times each......ised by the discovery because it directly explores one of life's most common events - breast feeding. These findings will enhance the understanding of why milk is healthful and the molecular pathways that create the bodies own quality control pipe line," says Dr. Evans. The researchers noticed that pup...Killing only a few animals won't do any harm -- or will it?
...lations is usually determined by the properties of one specific size class of individuals. In some species, this crucial stage consists of small individuals that can monopolize the available food, denying it to all other individuals.Alternatively, especially in fish populations, large individuals can lim...Nicotine rush hinges on sugar in neurons
...he mouse nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), one in a large and important group of molecules, known... Chen called the groups Nature Neuroscience study one of the few times that you felt that you connected the dots. The study also represents a tour de fo...Identified main genetic variants involved in response to HIV
...hisms (SNPs), are single variations affecting only one nucleotide or base of the genomic sequence. Despit...on genetic variations which make us different from one another 90% of which are due to SNPs. Hence, a good knowledge of these variations is highly valuable......ng a very elaborate procedure, they examined every one of the roughly 120 million building blocks of the ...me. For their molecular sleuthing they used almost one billion specially designed DNA probes. "All together, these probes would have seven times the length...Awards celebrating women and biotech brilliance
...y industry or research sector inQueensland. WIT is one of the leading technology industry associations for women in Australia and these awards are just anexample of how they continue to promote the industry and the interests of women working in it, Mr Pennisisaid. The Biotech Rising Star Award is open to...Pediatric ritalin use may affect developing brain, new study suggests
...mulant similar to amphetamine and cocaine, remains one of the most prescribed drugs for the behavioral disorder. "The changes we saw in the brains of treated rats occurred in areas strongly linked to higher executive functioning, addiction and appetite, social relationships and stress. These alteration...