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Fruit fly and malaria mosquito sensors attuned to heat, chemical odors

Fruit flies and mosquitoes share similar sensory receptors that allow them to distinguish among thousands of sensory cues - particularly heat and chemical odors - as they search for food or try to avoid danger, researchers from Boston College and Brandeis University report in the current electronic edition of the journal Nature.

6 Dec 2011

Low vitamin D levels may predispose one to type 2 diabetes

A new study shows that people with lower vitamin D levels were more likely to be obese and have higher degrees of insulin resistance, when the hormone becomes less effective at lowering blood sugar.

6 Dec 2011

Low vitamin D levels associated with higher degrees of insulin resistance

A recent study of obese and non-obese children found that low vitamin D levels are significantly more prevalent in obese children and are associated with risk factors for type 2 diabetes. This study was accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

5 Dec 2011

Study finds unhealthy food environment in children's hospitals

Given the obesity epidemic among the nation's young, one would hope that children's hospitals would serve as a role model for healthy eating. But hospitals in California fall short, with only 7 percent of entrees classified as "healthy" according to a new study published in Academic Pediatrics.

1 Dec 2011

Eating fish and avoiding violent video games could be prescriptions for a healthier brain

Two new studies presented Wednesday at the Radiological Society of North America’s annual conference in Chicago find that eating plenty of fish and not playing violent video games can keep a person’s brain healthy.

30 Nov 2011

Morning snacking harms diet and affects weight loss efforts: Study

According to a new study snacking between breakfast and lunch might damage the diet more than snacking at other times of the day. Women taking part in a weight loss study who ate a midmorning snack lost an average of 7 percent of their body weight over the course of a year, whereas women who did not snack before lunch lost 11 percent of their body weight the study revealed.

30 Nov 2011

Healthy snacks can aid weight-loss efforts

Women dieters who grab a snack between breakfast and lunch lose less weight compared to those who abstain from a mid-morning snack, according to a study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

28 Nov 2011

New creative uses of DNA 'barcoding'

The newfound scientific power to quickly "fingerprint" species via DNA is being deployed to unmask quack herbal medicines, reveal types of ancient Arctic life frozen in permafrost, expose what eats what in nature, and halt agricultural and forestry pests at borders, among other applications across a wide array of public interests.

28 Nov 2011

People eating out of home consume more calories and fat, less micronutrients

Eating out of home means you run a fair chance of ingesting more calories and fat, and less micronutrients like vitamin C, iron and calcium. And people nowadays eat more out of house, also in developing countries. So conclude scientists from the Antwerp Institute of Tropical Medicine, upon reviewing more than seven thousand studies. They report in the journal Obesity Reviews.

24 Nov 2011

People with higher BMI more susceptible to obesity risk factors

Some risk factors for obesity become stronger the more overweight a person is, according to a study published Nov. 23 in the online journal PLoS ONE.

24 Nov 2011

Physical exercise seems to encourage healthy diet

A healthy diet and the right amount of exercise are key players in treating and preventing obesity but we still know little about the relationship both factors have with each other. A new study now reveals that an increase in physical activity is linked to an improvement in diet quality.

23 Nov 2011

Study evaluates how eating habits could impact obesity trends among adults

Too much fast food, poor meal choices and bad eating habits are causing more Canadians to be overweight or obese. Despite this trend, individuals who eat well are 20 per cent less likely to be obese, according to a study by Concordia University economists published in the Journal of Primary Care & Community Health.

23 Nov 2011

Biochemists identify structure of hydroxyurea that specifically inhibits proteasome

As the "recycling plant" of the cell, the proteasome regulates vitally important functions. When it is inhibited, the cell chokes on its own waste. Cancer cells, in particular, are very sensitive because they need the proteasome for their uncontrolled growth. Biochemists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have now identified the lead structure of a new class of drugs that attacks the proteasome in an unusual way. New medication could be developed on the basis of this previously unknown binding mechanism.

22 Nov 2011

Tips to reduce calorie intake during holiday season

This holiday season, most families will have the traditional turkey, cranberry sauce and a pumpkin pie, without which it wouldn't qualify as a holiday meal. The one thing that usually falls off the list of must-haves is sensibility, says one University of Alabama at Birmingham expert.

22 Nov 2011

U-M ranks sixth among all medical schools in NIH funding

Research at the University of Michigan Medical School brought hundreds of millions of dollars into the state of Michigan in the last year - and could have a total economic impact of nearly $1.2 billion, new data show.

22 Nov 2011

Outreach program director at CINJ to take part in unique cancer control program

Kiameesha Evans, MPH, MCHES, program director of the Office of Community Outreach at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ), has been selected to take part in a unique pilot program for cancer control practitioners through the National Cancer Institute.

19 Nov 2011

Entomologists explain why flies are attracted to beer

Ever wondered why flies are attracted to beer? Entomologists at the University of California, Riverside have, and offer an explanation. They report that flies sense glycerol, a sweet-tasting compound that yeasts make during fermentation.

18 Nov 2011

New protein in the fruit fly eye may shed light on neurodegenerative diseases

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and collaborators have discovered a powerful new protein in the eye of the fruit fly that may shed light on blinding diseases and other sensory problems in humans.

18 Nov 2011

Teens more likely to die from heart disease at younger age than adults

A new study that takes a complete snapshot of adolescent cardiovascular health in the United States reveals a dismal picture of teens who are likely to die of heart disease at a younger age than adults do today, reports Northwestern Medicine research.

17 Nov 2011

Multivitamin use linked to less healthy behaviors

The lack of evidence on multivitamin health benefits is no impediment to their widespread popularity, with over half the U.S. population popping such pills. This translates into a $27 billion industry, which lures consumers with the illusory promise of better health. But shocking new research suggests taking multivitamins might have the opposite effect -- not simply on the metabolic level, but on a metaphysical one: promoting a false sense of invulnerability that actually leads users to engage in riskier behaviors.

17 Nov 2011