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Math professor develops scientific model to report ways Zika virus proliferates

A University of Miami math professor has developed a scientific model to address the various ways the Zika virus proliferates. The study, published June 17, 2016 in Scientific Reports, reveals that mosquito control should remain the most important mitigation method to control the virus.

29 Jun 2016

Latin American women report Zika virus alerts as reason for seeking abortion

Pregnant women in Latin American countries were more likely to seek an abortion after receiving health alerts about Zika virus, according to a study co-authored by Princeton University researchers and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

23 Jun 2016

Moffitt researchers develop mathematical model to show differences in subpopulations of tumors

Tumors are composed of many subpopulations of cells. A general consensus among scientists is that these subpopulations are due to random mutations. However, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers found that these assumptions may be incorrect.

22 Jun 2016

Experts develop set of resolutions, conclusions to provide clarity on testosterone therapy

In an effort to address widespread concerns related to testosterone deficiency (TD) and its treatment with testosterone therapy, a group of international experts has developed a set of resolutions and conclusions to provide clarity for physicians and patients.

21 Jun 2016

Researchers highlight gene loss as potential process of genetic change, evolutionary adaption

"Loss is nothing else but change and change is nature's delight" says the quote by the philosopher and emperor Marcus Aurelius, which opens the scientific article that analyses the gene loss phenomenon and its impact on the evolution of living beings.

16 Jun 2016

Research suggests gonad as vital player in evolutionary process

A pair of studies led by Indiana University researchers provide new evidence that when it comes to evolution, the testes may play a key role.

16 Jun 2016

Oxytocin hormone plays role in facilitating perception of emotions

Studies have demonstrated that oxytocin (which acts as an hormone and also as a neurotransmitter in the brain) plays a role in facilitating the perception of emotions in other people's facial expressions.

14 Jun 2016

Endocrine Society members advocate science-based policies to address danger of EDCs

To protect human health, Endocrine Society members called on the European Commission to adopt science-based policies for regulating endocrine-disrupting chemicals in an opinion piece published today in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

14 Jun 2016

Southern Europe may be at risk of Zika outbreaks during this summer

Established Aedes-mosquito population could spread the Zika virus in Europe this summer if infected travelers introduce the virus. An analysis of temperatures, vectorial capacity, basic reproductive number (R0), and air traveler flows suggests parts of Southern Europe may be at risk for Zika outbreaks between June and August.

13 Jun 2016

Old database sheds new light on biological concept that affects human reproductive patterns

When predicting future global population growth, sometimes scientists look to the past. Using a database with historical records that began in 871 A.D., an anthropologist at the University of Missouri was able to show reproductive patterns and shed new light on the "quantity-quality" trade-off, a biological concept used to describe a parent's unconscious decisions to balance between the time and financial investment needed to produce offspring.

9 Jun 2016

Understanding DNA scrunching could help develop novel ways to fight infections

Evidence of DNA "scrunching" may one day lead to a new class of drugs against viruses, according to a research team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Columbia University.

9 Jun 2016

Study describes how opioid receptors participate in spermatozoa production

The study conducted at the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country describes for the first time how these receptors participate in spermatogenesis.

8 Jun 2016

Yale researchers identify mechanisms responsible for human egg aging

Yale School of Medicine researchers have identified the molecular pathways involved in the aging of human eggs. This research could eventually lead to treatments to correct age-related damage and improve fertility in women age 40 and older.

8 Jun 2016

Drexel scientists identify how two new antimalarial drugs work

Drexel University scientists have discovered an unusual mechanism for how two new antimalarial drugs operate: They give the parasite's skin a boost in cholesterol, making it unable to traverse the narrow labyrinths of the human bloodstream.

27 May 2016

Scientists study how viral evolution occurs

Viruses evolve quickly. A small tweak to the genetic makeup of a mostly mild strain of influenza can give rise to the next pandemic. An equally small change to the same strain in a different setting can fade it into obscurity.

24 May 2016

New real-time imaging technique holds great potential in shaping assisted reproduction procedures

Researchers at A*STAR's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) have developed advanced microscopy technologies to monitor embryo development in real time, revealing how mammalian cells differentiate during the earliest stages of embryonic life.

23 May 2016

Neuropeptide plays role in driving rhythms of detoxification gene activity, study shows

A 24-hour rhythm of cellular detoxification in flies and mammals is coordinated by a neuropeptide that also drives feeding in both organisms, found a team led by Amita Sehgal, PhD, a professor of Neuroscience and director of the Chronobiology Program, in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

19 May 2016

Study finds higher risk of infertility in women under 35 with endometriosis

About 5 to 10 percent of the general female population is affected with endometriosis, and a higher prevalence is found among women with infertility. Although endometriosis is commonly observed in women who are infertile, it is unknown when endometriosis is the cause of infertility or an incidental discovery during the infertility examination.

18 May 2016

Exposure to BBP can make babies obese even before they are born

Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), a chemical commonly used in the food manufacturing process, can increase fat stores in the body even before we're born, according to a new study published in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology.