Body

Lobsters eat jellyfish without harm from the venomous stingers due to a series of physical adaptations. Researchers from Hiroshima University examined lobster feces to discover that lobsters surround their servings of jellyfish in protective membranes that prevent the stingers from injecting their venom. The results are vial for aquaculture efforts to sustainably farm lobsters for diners around the world.

New research has shown how a cell surface molecule, Lymphotoxin β receptor, controls entry of T-cells into the thymus; and as such presents an opportunity to understanding why cancer patients who undergo bone-marrow transplant are slow to recover their immune system.

The study, published in the Journal of Immunology, used mouse models to reveal an in vivo mechanism that researchers believe might also represent a novel pathway for immunotherapeutic targeting to support patients following transplantation.

Proteins fulfill vital functions in our body. They transport substances, combat pathogens, and function as catalysts. In order for these processes to function reliably, proteins must adopt a defined three-dimensional structure. Molecular "folding assistants", called chaperones, aid and scrutinize these structuring processes. With participation from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), a team of researchers has now revealed how chaperones identify particularly harmful errors in this structuring process. The findings were published in the scientific journal Molecular Cell.

With millions of motorists set to hit the road for the bank holiday weekend, drivers have been urged to close windows and turn off fans while in traffic jams to avoid breathing in dangerously high levels of air pollution. Latest research from the University of Surrey has shown that simple adjustment to your car's ventilation system while sitting in traffic jams can greatly affect your exposure to toxic fumes by up to 76%.

A new research, affiliated with UNIST has been highlighted on the inside front cover of the June issue of the prestigious journal Chemical Communications. The key finding of this study is the development of new synthetic methods that facilitate the design and synthesis of bioactive compounds and chemical tools for pharmacological studies, the team reports.

The study was jointly conducted by Prof. Cheol-Min Park of Department of Chemistry at UNIST, Prof. Nicole S. Y. Loy of School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences at Nanyang Technological University, and two other researchers.

KNOXVILLE, TN - Although purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is considered a problematic weed in the United States, it is grown and consumed as a leafy vegetable throughout much of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Mexico. Valued for its nutritional qualities, purslane contains important phytochemicals such as omega-3 fatty acids, organic acids, and important flavonoids. The succulent annual can also contain high concentrations of carotenoid and chlorophyll pigments.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- There's no need to reinvent the genetic wheel.

That's one lesson of a new study that looks to the saliva of humans, gorillas, orangutans, macaques and African green monkeys for insights into evolution.

The research, published on Aug. 25 in Scientific Reports, examined a gene called MUC7 that tells the body how to create a salivary protein of the same name. The protein, which is long and thin, forms the backbone of a bottlebrush-shaped molecule that helps to give spit its slimy, sticky consistency.

It probably isn't surprising to read that pharmaceutical drugs don't always do what they're supposed to. Adverse side effects are a well-known phenomenon and something many of us will have experienced when taking medicines.

Sometimes, these side effects can be caused when a drug hits the wrong target, binding to the wrong protein. However, the difficulty of tracking this process means that little research has been carried out.

Studies show that men are not as environmentally friendly as women. Let's face it, not too many "man caves" feature solar panels, recycle bins or posters of electric cars. It's just not manly.

But could men be persuaded to go green? New research indicates the answer is yes -- and it's all about branding.

Alexandria, VA - Human evolution and paleoanthropology are tricky subjects, not just because of the rarity of these fossils, but also because human nature seems to be getting in the way of modern taxonomy. In a field that is generally governed by logical rules when it comes to identifying new fossils, scientists are noticed there are some peculiarities applied to our own genus, Homo.

• War in Syria had erased 6 years off male life expectancy by 2013
• Syria falling behind countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in reducing child mortality
• Conflicts threaten to jeopardise health gains over past two decades and will have impact on the region and worldwide for many years

A study led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators reveals how spontaneous changes in the molecular characteristics of tumors can lead to tumors with a mixed population of cells requiring treatment with several types of therapeutic drugs. In their report in the Sept. 1 issue of Nature, the research team describes finding a mixture of HER2-positive and HER2-negative circulating tumors cells (CTCs) in blood samples from patients who developed metastatic disease after originally being diagnosed with estrogen-receptor (ER)-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer.

Researchers caution that global warming signals are being masked by random weather variations and report that the human influence on snowfall levels will become detectable within the next few decades.

In a warmer world, scientists expect to see an increase in snowfall over the Antarctic because of higher levels of moisture in the air. This is expressed in global and regional climate models as an increase in surface mass balance (SMB) - a term that incorporates the loss of mass in the Antarctic ice sheet through sublimation and the gain in mass due to snowfall.

Nature abounds with examples of mutualistic relationships. Think of bees pollinating flowers whose nectar nourishes the bees, or clownfish that fight off predators of anemones that in turn provide habitats for the clownfish. Each species benefits the other, and together their chances of survival are better than if they lived apart.

Results of a study published in PLOS ONE show that asthma risk increased 17 times when children who had bronchiolitis in the first two years of life also had a common variation of the Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) gene. Similarly, children with this genetic variation were 12 times more likely to develop asthma after any lower respiratory tract infections requiring medical contact early in life (including those which were potentially less severe).