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MRI reveals similarities between the human and chimpanzee brain

New MRI-based studies present more evidence that the brains of chimpanzees are human-like in terms of the relationships among brain asymmetry, handedness and language, according to research undertaken at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta.

6 Dec 2004

Temperature sensing protein implicated in mediating thermotaxis

The songwriter Noel Coward once declared that only mad dogs and Englishmen went out in the midday sun. MIT biologists Mark Rosenzweig, Paul Garrity and their colleagues now have a third candidate for the lyric—fruit flies with defects in a gene called dTrpA1.

4 Dec 2004

Good oil in walnuts helps diabetes patients

People developing Type 2 Diabetes know they need more than an apple a day to keep the doctor away. But a handful of walnuts might help.

4 Dec 2004

Red meat consumption is an independent risk factor in the development of inflammatory arthritis

A chronic inflammatory disease of the immune system, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been linked to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

2 Dec 2004

Israeli developed fruit called pomelit, lowers blood cholesterol

People who eat the Israeli-developed fruit known in Hebrew as pomelit (a cross between a grapefruit and a pomelo) or drink its juice regularly will be able to lower their blood cholesterol and increase their blood antioxidant activity, thus improving their chances of preventing blocked heart arteries and heart attacks, says a researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

30 Nov 2004

Citrus fruits offer promise in fighting childhood cancer

Orange juice and cancer don't mix. In fact, the popular citrus drink could become a cocktail to prevent or stop the deadly disease in humans.

30 Nov 2004

Scientists have given blind nerve cells the ability to detect light

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have given "blind" nerve cells the ability to detect light, paving the way for an innovative therapy that could restore sight to those who have lost it through disease.

24 Nov 2004

On average, American households waste 14 percent of their food purchases

As they sit down to their Thanksgiving Day dinner, many Americans will marvel at the cornucopia of food at their table. What many don't think about is how much food is wasted, not just on Thursday, but every day, from the beginning of the harvest to the scraps tossed into the garbage.

23 Nov 2004

Discovery of gene mutation in fruit flies that alters sensitivity to crack cocaine

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and New York University have discovered a gene mutation in fruit flies that alters sensitivity to crack cocaine and also regulates their internal body clock.

23 Nov 2004

Eating apples may protect against Alzheimer's and Parkinsonism

A group of chemicals in apples could protect the brain from the type of damage that triggers such neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer's and Parkinsonism, according to two new studies from Cornell University food scientists.

18 Nov 2004

Vegetable lovers should be viewed as different from fruit aficionados

Health educators and dietitians ought to be more precise the next time they advise Americans that "vegetables and fruit are good for you," according to a study by a nutritional expert at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

14 Nov 2004

Stem cell gene linked to a portion of one of the most common childhood brain cancers

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have linked a stem-cell gene to a portion of one of the most common childhood brain cancers, opening the door to tailored therapies that block the gene's tumor-promoting ability.

10 Nov 2004

Psoriasis trial enters final stage

Solbec Pharmaceuticals Ltd today announced the successful completion of the first two stages of the Phase I clinical trial of its lead compound, CoramsineTM (SBP002), for the treatment of psoriasis.

4 Nov 2004

Diet/cancer study not conclusive

My colleagues and I at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) have read with great interest the cohort study appearing in the November 3 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI). The study's authors analyzed data from the Nurses' Health Study and concluded that among its subjects, fruits and vegetables were modestly protective against cardiovascular disease and not protective against cancer.

3 Nov 2004