Smokers tend to die young, but they tend to die thinner than non-smokers. A team of scientists led by Yale School of Medicine has discovered exactly how nicotine suppresses appetite – findings that suggest that it might be possible to develop a drug that would help smokers, and non-smokers, stay thin. Nicotine activates a small set of neurons in a section of the hypothalamus that signals the body has had enough to eat, the researchers report in the June 10 issue of the journal Science. Nicotine accomplishes this trick by activating a different set of receptors on the ...

CLEVELAND – June 9, 2011 – Researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have identified a cellular mechanism that is critical in maintaining normal cell function. In their work, the researchers led by Eckhard Jankowsky, PhD, researcher and associate professor in the Center for RNA Molecular Biology at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, examined the function of TRAMP, a protein complex involved in the processing of RNA or ribonucleic acid within the cell. They identified a key function for the protein Mtr4p in a process that ...

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (June 9, 2011) – Whitehead Institute researchers have identified signals from breast epithelial cells that can induce those cells to transition to and maintain a mesenchymal and stem cell-like cell state that imbues both normal and cancer cells with a greater ability to migrate and self-renew. Interrupting these signals strips the cells of the migratory, invasive and self-renewal abilities used by cancer stem cells to seed new tumors. "Stem cells are important in both cancers and normal tissues. On the one hand we'd like to know what creates so-called ...

One of the primary purposes of bankruptcy is to "relieve the honest debtor from the weight of oppressive indebtedness and permit him to start afresh free from the obligations and responsibilities consequent upon business misfortunes." When you file for bankruptcy, all of your property becomes part of the "bankruptcy estate." To protect some assets from the trustee, Congress created exemptions for debtors in bankruptcy. These exemptions allow a debtor to "exempt" some of their assets from being recovered by the trustee for the benefit of ...

Consumers must navigate a number of potential dangers when considering a used car. They have to make sure the mileage is accurate, determine if the engine is in reasonable condition, and ensure that the brakes and suspension are in working order, to name just a few. However, even the most conscientious buyer may not think about whether the airbags are in their original condition, especially if the buyer is purchasing a car with a salvage title (a car that had previously been in an accident). Because of this naivety, airbag fraud is becoming increasingly common. The National ...

What began as Senate bill 841 in 2009 is now officially signed into law as the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act (PESA) of 2010 after being passed by both houses of Congress in December of 2010 and signed by President Barack Obama on January 4, 2011. The new law sets the stage for all electric or electric/gas hybrid vehicles to come equipped with some manner of noise-generating device that alerts pedestrians to their otherwise silent operation. Why Was This Law Introduced? As electric and electric/gas hybrid cars, trucks and SUVs became more prevalent, the vast differences ...

STANFORD, Calif. — Any legislation that slows human embryonic stem cell research is likely to also seriously harm the study of induced pluripotent stem cells, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine, the Mayo Clinic and the University of Michigan. The finding strongly refutes the idea that embryonic stem cell research can be abandoned in favor of the less-controversial iPS cells, which are derived from adult human tissue. "If federal funding stops for human embryonic stem cell research, it would have a serious negative impact ...

Divorce can be difficult for everyone involved, and the process can be particularly challenging for children. When it comes to telling children about an impending divorce, parents can soften the impact of the news by taking into account several considerations. Plan Ahead Preparation is one key to telling your children about the divorce in a thoughtful, supportive and age-appropriate manner. Even though you and your spouse may be angry with each other, it is important to focus on the children and discuss together what you want to tell them. This helps avoid blaming ...

HOUSTON - (June 6, 2011) - It is widely known that smoking inhibits appetite, but what is not known, is what triggers this process in the brain. Now researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, participating in a Yale University School of Medicine-led study, have identified the nicotine receptors that influence the anorexigenic signaling pathway, or appetite suppression pathway. The findings are published in the current edition of the journal Science. "The hypothalamus is an area in the brain that integrates signals coming from our gut and fat telling our brain that ...

Research published in PLoS Genetics today (9 June) provides insights into how an important fungal disease is able to evade wheat's defences. The researchers hope that the study, which reveals the fungus' complete genome sequence, will enable them to breed resistant crop plants or improve the use of pesticides. The genome sequence was produced by an international consortium of researchers including scientists at Rothamsted Research in the UK. The scientists, who were funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and others, are already using ...

New Haven, Conn.—Microcredit, which involves giving small loans to very small businesses in an effort to promote entrepreneurship, has been widely touted as a way to reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth. A multitude of both non- and for-profit institutions are spending billions of dollars each year on microcredit ventures in developing nations around the globe. But just how effective is microcredit lending? In a new study, researchers find that the practice may not be an efficient tool in promoting business growth or improving the lives of its beneficiaries, but ...

MADISON – In chemistry, so-called aromatic molecules compose a large and versatile family of chemical compounds that are the stuff of pharmaceuticals, electronic materials and consumer products ranging from sunscreen to plastic soda bottles. Writing in the current online issue (June 9) of the journal Science, a team led by University of Wisconsin-Madison chemistry Professor Shannon Stahl reports a new, environmentally friendly way to make substituted aromatic molecules that can be customized for different industrial needs. As college chemistry students know, aromatic ...

Mutations in genes essential to survival are behind so-called orphan diseases, explaining in part why these diseases are rare and often deadly, according to a study appearing in The American Journal of Human Genetics. The new finding contrasts sharply with what is known about mutations in non-essential genes being the drivers of common diseases having higher prevalence rates, according to scientists at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center who conducted the research. The bioinformatics study – which used computer technology to link diseases with causative genes, ...

PHILADELPHIA—Receiving radiation therapy immediately after a radical prostatectomy is a cost-effective treatment for prostate cancer patients when compared with waiting and acting on elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, according to a new study by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital. What's more, a separate, but related study, found that urologists were less likely than radiation oncologists to recommend adjuvant radiation therapy or to believe it improves overall survival. There has been question over whether administering adjuvant ...

Washington, DC— Carbonaceous chondrites are a type of organic-rich meteorite that contain samples of the materials that took part in the creation of our planets nearly 4.6 billion years ago, including materials that were likely formed before our Solar System was created and may have been crucial to the formation of life on Earth. The complex suite of organic materials found in carbonaceous chondrites can vary substantially from meteorite to meteorite. New research from Carnegie's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism and Geophysical Laboratory, published June 10 in Science, ...

Athens, Ga. – New research just published in the journal Science by a team of chemists at the University of Georgia and colleagues in Germany shows for the first time that a mechanism called tunneling control may drive chemical reactions in directions unexpected from traditional theories. The finding has the potential to change how scientists understand and devise reactions in everything from materials science to biochemistry. The discovery was a complete surprise and came following the first successful isolation of a long-elusive molecule called methylhydroxycarbene ...

The scandals involving Bernie Madoff, Tom Petters and others have inspired action from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) -- an independent regulatory body of securities firms in the United States. As a reaction to the high-profile scandals, FINRA proposed a rule in May 2010 that would increase the amount of oversight in the securities industry. The proposed rule, which FINRA recently submitted to the Securities and Exchange Committee (SEC), would extend oversight to so-called "back-office" personnel, or operations professionals. Traditionally, ...

The research focused on the role of stomata, microscopic pores in the surface of leaves that allow carbon dioxide gas to be taken up for use in photosynthesis, while at the same time allowing water to escape. Instead of being fixed pores in the leaf, rather like a sieve, the stomata of modern plants are more like valves that open and close on demand. They do this in response to environmental and chemical signals, such as light and carbon dioxide, therefore balancing the photosynthetic and water requirements of the plant. Therefore, a key evolutionary question is: when ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Banning federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research would have "disastrous consequences" on the study of a promising and increasingly popular new stem cell type that is not derived from human embryos, according to a University of Michigan researcher and his colleagues. Human induced pluripotent stem cells, known as iPS cells, are reprogrammed adult cells that display many of the most scientifically valuable properties of embryonic stem cells while enabling researchers to bypass embryos altogether. Scientists hope to harness the power of both ...

High chairs and baby seats can are a great help to busy parents, providing a safe way for them to feed their children. The chairs keep children at table-level, allowing them to eat and interact while safely restrained in their seats. However, highchairs, like many baby products, are frequently recalled due to defects and general safety hazards. Parents should regularly check the recall status of their frequently used baby products in order to better ensure their children's safety. Those who own the "metoo" clip on chair by phil&teds, may be troubled ...

PHILADELPHIA -- Two University of Pennsylvania engineers have proposed the possibility of two-dimensional metamaterials. These one-atom- thick metamaterials could be achieved by controlling the conductivity of sheets of graphene, which is a single layer of carbon atoms. Professor Nader Engheta and graduate student Ashkan Vakil, both of the Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering in Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science, published their theoretical research in the journal Science. The study of metamaterials is an interdisciplinary field of science ...

(Edmonton) Detailed analysis of the most pristine meteorite ever recovered shows that the composition of the organic compounds it carried changed during the early years of the solar system. Those changed organics were preserved through billions of years in outer space before the meteorite crashed to Earth. The research team, led by University of Alberta geologist Chris Herd, analyzed samples of a meteorite that landed on Tagish Lake in northern British Columbia in 2000. Variations in the geology of the meteorite samples were visible to the naked eye and indicated the asteroid, ...

High-quality early education has a strong, positive impact well into adulthood, according to research led by Arthur Reynolds, co-director of the Human Capital Research Collaborative and professor of child development, and Judy Temple, a professor in the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. The study is the longest follow-up ever of an established large-scale early childhood program. In "School-based Early Childhood Education and Age 28 Well-Being: Effects by Timing, Dosage, and Subgroups," published today in the journal Science, Reynolds and ...

Texting while driving is a dangerous habit--just as dangerous as drunk driving--and often has similar consequences. Fortunately, some state laws have finally caught up with the dangers of cell phone use while driving, with eight states banning all use of cell phones while driving, and 30 states banning texting while driving. The State of New York bans handheld cell phone use while driving, including texting. The Department of Motor Vehicles imposes a $100 fine for using a cell phone while driving, as well as a two-point penalty on the offender's driver's license. It ...

Many amateur athletes have long suspected what research scientists for the Department of Preventative and Rehabilitative Sports Medicine of the Technische Universitaet Muenchen at Klinikum rechts der Isar have now made official: Documented proof, gathered during the world's largest study of marathons, "Be-MaGIC" (beer, marathons, genetics, inflammation and the cardiovascular system), that the consumption of non-alcoholic weissbier, or wheat beer, has a positive effect on athletes' health. Under the direction of Dr. Johannes Scherr, physicians examined 277 test subjects ...