Sugar cane fires in Louisiana According to KATC Channel 3 in Lafayette, LA on December 17, 2013 , thick plumes of smoke are visible for miles around Acadiana (the mostly French region of Louisiana in the southern part of the state). They aren't major fires, but instead ...

Parasitic DNA proliferates in aging tissues The genomes of organisms from humans to corn are replete with "parasitic" strands of DNA that, when not suppressed, copy themselves and spread throughout the genome, potentially affecting health. Earlier this year Brown University researchers ...

Common disorders: It's not the genes themselves, but how they are controlled Case Western Reserve identifies multiple DNA changes cause disease, offering new drug targets Many rare disorders are caused by gene mutation, like sickle cell anemia. Yet ...

Want to stop smoking? See a specialist! Smokers in England who want to stop smoking are three times more likely to succeed if they see a trained advisor than if they try by themselves, according to a new study published online today in the medical journal Addiction. Worryingly, ...

Gene transfer gone wild reveals driving force behind mitochondrial sex Report largest example of horizontal gene transfer in any organism Pioneering research led by Indiana University has identified genes from a number of plant species, including the entire mitochondrial ...

Science's top 10 breakthroughs of 2013 Journal celebrates recent success with cancer immunotherapy and more This news release is available in Spanish, French, Arabic, Japanese and Chinese. The cancer research community experienced ...

The origin of flowers: DNA of storied plant provides insight into the evolution of flowering plants The newly sequenced genome of the Amborella plant addresses Darwin's "abominable mystery" -- the question of why flowers suddenly proliferated on Earth millions of years ...

Cocaine, meth response differ between 2 substrains of 'Black 6' laboratory mouse Researchers including Jackson Laboratory Professor Gary Churchill, Ph.D., have found a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) difference in cocaine and methamphetamine response between ...

Researchers generate kidney tubular cells from stem cells Advance could allow regenerative medicine to replace dialysis or transplantation for treating kidney failure Washington, DC (December 19, 2013) — Researchers have successfully coaxed stem cells to become kidney ...

Stowers researchers announce first genetic model of a human jaw fusion defect known as syngnathia KANSAS CITY, MO—The face you critiqued in the mirror this morning was sculpted before you were born by a transient population of cells called neural crest ...

Team finds new way to map important drug targets Innovative techniques and new X-ray technology enable faster, more accurate imaging of hard-to-study membrane proteins LA JOLLA, CA — December 19, 2013 — Researchers have used new techniques and one of the brightest ...

Saving dollars while helping babies Nurse home visits for infants save $3 for every $1 spent DURHAM, N.C. – As healthcare costs continue to balloon, a new Duke study points to a surprising avenue for potential savings: nurse home visits. For every $1 spent on nurse home ...

Throwing out the textbook: Salt surprises chemists Washington, D.C.—Table salt, sodium chloride, is one of the first chemical compounds that schoolchildren learn. New research from a team including Carnegie's Alexander Goncharov shows that under ...

X-ray laser maps important drug target New technology allows faster, more accurate imaging of hard-to-study membrane proteins Menlo Park, Calif. — Researchers have used one of the brightest X-ray sources on the planet to map the 3-D structure ...

Anxiety linked to higher long-term risk of stroke American Heart Association Rapid Access Journal Report The greater your anxiety level, the higher your risk of having a stroke, according to new research published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke. The ...

Natural gas saves water, even when factoring in water lost to hydraulic fracturing A new study finds that in Texas, the U.S. state that annually generates the most electricity, the transition from coal to natural gas for electricity generation is saving ...

Scientists decode serotonin receptor at room temperature X-ray laser opens up new paths for investigating biomolecules This news release is available in German. An international research team has decoded the molecular structure of the medically ...

Gladstone scientists discover how immune cells die during HIV infection; identify potential drug to block AIDS Gladstone plans to launch Phase 2 trial with existing anti-inflammatory SAN FRANCISCO, CA—December 19, 2013—Research led by scientists at the Gladstone ...

Greater dietary fiber intake associated with lower risk of heart disease As little as 1 extra portion of wholegrains plus more fruit and vegetables can decrease risk In recent years, a decline in both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease ...

Nearly 8 percent of hip implants not backed by safety evidence Current device regulation process 'seems to be entirely inadequate,' warn researchers The researchers say the current regulation process "seems to be entirely inadequate" and they call for a ...

Government's voluntary approach to improving hospital food is not working, argues expert 3 out of 5 hospital meals found to contain more salt than a Big Mac In an article published on bmj.com today, she says the government has wasted more than £54 million ...

Many people with diabetes still lose vision, despite availability of vision-sparing treatment Researchers blame lack of education about advances in preventive care Despite recent advances in prevention and treatment of most vision loss attributed to diabetes, ...

Salty surprise -- ordinary table salt turns into 'forbidden' forms High-pressure X-ray experiments violate textbook rules of chemistry This news release is available in German. High-pressure experiments with ordinary table salt have produced ...

The black-white infant mortality gap: Large, persistent and unpredictable EAST LANSING, Mich. — The unobservable factors that underpin the infant mortality gap between blacks and whites have persisted for more than 20 years and now appear to play a larger role than ...

Biologists find clues to a parasite's inconsistency CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite related to the one that causes malaria, infects about 30 percent of the world's population. Most of those people don't even know they are infected, but ...