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Five facts to help teens make informed decisions about vaping

"Juuling" is the latest trend among high school students but do teens know what they're inhaling? The "Juul" is a type of e-cigarette device that dispenses a potent dose of nicotine when the user inhales. Unlike an e-cigarette, the slickly designed device resembles a small USB flash drive and creates very little smoke so it is not easily detected by teachers and parents.

8 May 2018

Social context has a lot to do with spread of disease

"Patient zero" isn't entirely to blame when an infection takes root in a population. According to Rice University scientists, social context in the community has a lot to do with how a disease spreads.

7 May 2018

Poor diet may reduce the chance of getting pregnant

New findings suggest that getting pregnant takes longer for women who consume too much junk food and not enough fruit, as well as having a decreased chance of conceiving within a year.

4 May 2018

Mediterranean diet enhances good bacteria living in the gut

Here's another reason to eat a Mediterranean-type diet: It's good for your gut. Scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found that eating a plant-based diet enhanced the good bacteria living in the gut by up to 7 percent as compared to only 0.5 percent from eating a more meat-centric, Western diet.

25 Apr 2018

Researchers discover new gene associated with aortic aneurysms

An interdisciplinary team of researchers has identified a new gene linked to human aortic aneurysms. By combining comprehensive genetic studies in the fruit fly, dataset searches and analysis of diseased human aortic tissue, the researchers shed light on mechanisms not previously known to be associated with this devastating disease.

24 Apr 2018

Scientists identify gene responsible for evolution of recombination rates

Genetics is a crapshoot. During sexual reproduction, genes from both the mother and the father mix and mingle to produce a genetic combination unique to each offspring. In most cases, the chromosomes line up properly and crossover. In some unlucky cases, however, "selfish DNA" enters the mix, causing abnormal crossovers with deletions or insertions in chromosomes, which can manifest as birth defects.

20 Apr 2018

Consuming large quantities of sugar during pregnancy can affect child's cognition, shows study

A new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has determined that poorer childhood cognition occurred, particularly in memory and learning, when pregnant women or their offspring consumed greater quantities of sugar.

20 Apr 2018

Male fruit flies like sex and alcohol

Researchers at Bar-Ilan University in Israel have found that male fruit flies (Drosophilia melanogaster) enjoy ejaculation and sex and are also keen on alcohol consumption. The results of this novel study that shows that sexual gratification is preserved across species was published in the latest issue of the journal Current Biology this week.

19 Apr 2018

Pepper plant metabolizes antibiotic in personal care products

It sometimes can be hard to find toothpastes, soaps and other toiletries without antibiotics. Their popularity has caused an increase in environmental levels of antimicrobial substances, such as triclocarban (TCC), which end up in the water and soil used to grow crops.

18 Apr 2018

Eating red meat regularly linked to higher rates of distal colon cancer

When comparing the effects of red meat, poultry, fish or vegetarian diets to cancer development in specific subsites of the colon, a study found that those regularly eating red meat compared to a red meat-free diet had higher rates of distal colon cancer -- cancer found on the descending section of the colon, where faeces is stored.

13 Apr 2018

Protein linked with Alzheimer's disease affects different brain cells differently

Amyloid beta, a protein linked with Alzheimer's disease, has different properties in different cell types in the brains of fruit flies.

13 Apr 2018

NIGMS-funded researcher finds new technique to track cell’s movement

Cells are the basis of the living world. Our cells make up the tissues and organs of our bodies. Bacteria are also cells, living sometimes alone and sometimes in groups called biofilms. We think of cells mostly as staying in one spot, quietly doing their work. But in many situations, cells move, often very quickly.

11 Apr 2018

Researchers discover how 'junk DNA' plays key role in holding the genome together

Researchers at the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have determined how satellite DNA, considered to be "junk DNA," plays a crucial role in holding the genome together.

11 Apr 2018

New research sheds light on how neurons in the brain communicate with one another

Researchers from the University of Leicester have shed new light on how neurons in the brain communicate with one another. This could potentially help in our understanding of how and why a range of neurodegenerative diseases occur.

10 Apr 2018

New collection of transgenic flies could accelerate biomedical discovery

For more than 100 years, the humble fruit fly has been used to understand fundamental biological processes and has been a crucial tool for rapid preclinical gene discovery for myriads of human diseases.

6 Apr 2018

Waking up “sleeping” stem cells in the brain could improve its ability to repair injury

Researchers have identified a new type of stem cell that could boost the brain’s ability to repair damage caused by brain injury or disease.

6 Apr 2018

Sulfur amino acid restriction consistently demonstrates range of health benefits in animals

The longevity and health improvements seen in animals on sulfur amino acid-restricted diets could translate to people, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers who recently conducted a review of published studies. More research is needed to confirm the benefits in people, the scientists said.

4 Apr 2018

Natural dietary supplement tends to improve blood pressure and arterial health

Scientists have long known that restricting calories can fend off physiological signs of aging, with studies in fruit flies, roundworms, rodents and even people showing that chronically slashing intake by about a third can reap myriad health benefits and, in some cases, extend lifespan.

29 Mar 2018

Less nutritious diet mainly contributes to Type 2 diabetes among U.S.-based South Asians

Less nutritious dietary choices made by South Asians living in developed countries like the U.S. are a key contributor to the group's rising rate of Type 2 diabetes, UT Southwestern researchers report.

22 Mar 2018

Stony Brook Medicine expert provides tips for healthy diet to decrease cancer risk

A recent study suggests a link between consuming processed foods and an increase in cancer diagnoses.

21 Mar 2018