Body

Researchers have presented one of the first computerised tomography (CT) scans of a mummified individual from southern Africa, and also completed the first successful aDNA (ancient DNA) extraction from such remains. The mummy is estimated to have been about 300 years old.

In a study using mice, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine infectious disease experts have added to evidence that statin drugs -- known primarily for their cholesterol-lowering effects -- can significantly reduce the time it takes to clear tuberculosis infection.

Lactobacillus might sound familiar when the topic of probiotics comes up, but they are only one of many types of bacteria that have proven health benefits. In a new study by the Academy for Immunology and Microbiology within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) and the National Institute of Animal Science research project of Rural Development Administration, researchers have shown that the introduction of the probiotic Bifidobacterium longum KACC 91563 has the ability to reduce the effects of food allergies.

TORONTO, March 16, 2016 -- About 18 per cent of children still received cough and cold medications despite label warnings advising against their use in children under age six, a new study has found.

Following the introduction of Health Canada's 2009 labelling requirement, there has been a small decrease in over-the-counter cough and cold medication use in children - down from 22 per cent before the change.

Scientists at the University of Sussex have discovered how parts of organs grow differently when body size changes.

Published today (Wednesday 16 March), the study entitled, "Differential scaling within an insect compound eye", reveals how different parts of a single organ in the body can change sizes at different rates.

Los Angeles, Calif., USA - Today at the 45th Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the American Association for Dental Research, researcher Eduardo Bernabé, King's College London Dental Institute, England, UK, will present a study titled "Household Catastrophic Health Expenditure and Impoverishment Due to Payments for Dental Care in Low and Middle Income Countries." The AADR Annual Meeting is being held in conjunction with the 40th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research.

Los Angeles, Calif., USA - Today at the 45th Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the American Association for Dental Research, researcher Hongjun Yin, DB Consulting Group, Inc., Alpharetta, Ga., USA, will present a study titled "Tooth Loss and Untreated Caries Predict Food Intake Limitations." The AADR Annual Meeting is being held in conjunction with the 40th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research.

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- New cancer drugs allow doctors to tailor treatment based on the genetic profile of a patient's tumor. However, these drugs don't work at all in some patients, and they lose their effectiveness in others.

A new study from MIT and Massachusetts General Hospital reveals why a certain class of these drugs, known as kinase inhibitors, doesn't always halt tumor growth. The researchers found that while kinase inhibitors successfully shut down their targets, they also provoke cells to turn on a backup system that can take over for the one knocked out by the drug.

ITHACA, NY -- Woodland agrimony isn't much to look at--the short plant with jagged leaves and tiny yellow flowers is likely to be overlooked on an afternoon hike -- but this rare, threatened plant got a high-tech hand from researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI).

A major new review published today by the scientific journal Addiction reveals that in studies testing the effectiveness of stop-smoking support for pregnant women, nearly half (43%) of the women who managed to stay off cigarettes during the pregnancy went back to smoking within 6 months of the birth.

While not smoking during pregnancy is very important, there is an urgent need to find better ways of helping mothers stay of cigarettes afterwards.

The first population assessment since the end of the whaling era reveals that New Zealand southern right whales have some way to go before numbers return to pre-industrial levels. Reporting this week in Royal Society Open Science scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS), the University of Auckland, Oregon State University and the University of St Andrews, explain how they used historic logbook records from whaling ships and computer modelling to compare population numbers.

Washington - Two-thirds (67 percent) of U.S. seafood consumers say they want to know that their fish can be traced back to a known and trusted source, with 58 percent saying they look to ecolabels as a trusted source of information. Globally, 55 percent doubt that the seafood they consume is what it says on the package. These findings are from the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) latest survey of more than 16,000 seafood consumers across 21 countries.

Genetic tests that provide an estimate of an individual's risk of developing diseases such as lung cancer and heart disease do not appear to motivate a change in behaviour to reduce the risk, according to a study led by the University of Cambridge and published in The BMJ today.

Communicating the results of DNA tests has little or no impact on behaviour change, such as stopping smoking or increasing physical activity, finds a study published by The BMJ today.

These results are timely, given high levels of interest in personalised medicine and increasing use of direct-to-consumer testing for a range of common complex disorders, say the research team, led by Professor Theresa Marteau at the University of Cambridge.

A move by the UK government to stop lobbying by tax funded bodies could have a serious impact on public health, warn leading researchers in The BMJ today.

Dr Katherine Smith at the University of Edinburgh and colleagues say this "seems to conflict with the pursuit of public health goals, which often require ensuring policy makers are aware of the implications of research."