Body

Each extra hour of daily sedentary time (for example spent sitting at a computer) is associated with a 22% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, concludes new research published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes). The study is by Julianne van der Berg, Maastricht University, the Netherlands, and colleagues.

The little penguin species (popularly known as little blue penguins) found in southern New Zealand is a surprisingly recent invader from Australia, according to a new study led by University of Otago researchers.

Following the recent discovery that little penguins in the southern province of Otago belong to an Australian species, a team of researchers from New Zealand and the United States set out to determine when the Aussies first arrived.

COLLEGE STATION - Two Texas A&M AgriLife Research entomologists are among a team of some 80 international scientists whose work in sequencing the genome of the bedbug was published in the scientific journal Nature Communications on Feb. 2.

The AgriLife Research team members from College Station who were part of the two-year project are Dr. Ed Vargo, Endowed Chair in Urban and Structural Entomology headquartered in the Rollins Urban and Structural Entomology Facility, and Dr. Spencer Johnston in Texas A&M University's department of entomology.

A product called the OFF!® Clip-On™ repellent device could be an effective tool for preventing bites from the Aedes aegypti mosquito -- the primary vector of Zika, chikungunya, dengue, and yellow fever -- according to an article in the Journal of Medical Entomology.

Washington, D.C.--January 26, 2016-- Researchers have uncovered potent antimicrobial activity in a natural clay deposit found on the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. The research, published this week in mBio, an online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, shows that the clay can kill members of the ESKAPE group of bacterial pathogens, the culprits behind some of the deadliest and most antibiotic-resistant hospital-acquired infections.

Scientists working with NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries announced the discovery of four new species of deep-water algae from Hawaii. Marine algae, or limu, are very important in Hawaiian culture, used in foods, ceremonies and as adornments in traditional hula. The new species of limu were collected between 200-400 feet, depths not typically known for marine algae.

MAYWOOD, Ill. - A new study suggests that significant improvements could be made in the scoring system physicians use to estimate the stage (severity) of mesothelioma, an aggressive and deadly cancer.

The current scoring system incorporates such factors as the size of the tumor and whether it has spread to other parts of the body. The study's findings suggest that, in addition, tumor weight and volume "may be valuable components for staging malignant pleural mesothelioma."

PHILADELPHIA--A powerful, three-way mechanism by which a mutation drives the growth of childhood brain cancers, was discovered by scientists from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). The team hopes the discovery will lead to better methods for diagnosing and treating these cancers, which cannot always be cured with surgery.

Toronto - Good salaries and cash bonuses are nice. But if businesses really want to get managers helping each other across divisions, they'll give them equity in the company as well, according to new research out of the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management.

ATLANTA (Feb. 1, 2016)--In a study to be presented on Feb. 5 at 2:30 p.m. EST, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™, in Atlanta, researchers will present findings from a study titled, Maternal Diet Alters the Breast Milk Microbiome and Microbial Gene Content.

23andMe, Inc., the leading personal genetics company, today announced the results of one of the largest genome-wide association studies of its kind, identifying genetic variants associated with being a morning person.

Published in Nature Communications the study identified 15 locations in DNA (loci) associated with "morningness."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

University of Minnesota researchers have identified the mechanism of a potential HIV drug target, which could be a more cost-effective option than currently used HIV drugs.

The study expanded upon previous UMN research, which identified that the nucleoside 5-azacytidine (5-aza-C) blocked HIV's ability to spread. 5-aza-C triggers lethal mutagenesis, a process in which HIV mutations speed up to a point that the HIV essentially wears itself out.

Children from war-torn areas of the globe are affected by trauma even before they are born, according to a new University of Florida study.

To gather their results, researchers went to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a region routinely called "the worst place in the world" to be a woman, said Darlene A. Kertes, the study's lead author and an assistant professor in UF's department of psychology. Women in this unstable region are routinely the target of rape and other war-related traumas.

CHICAGO--Peanuts are widely used in food processing because they are rich in fats and protein, however they are also one of the eight major food allergens. In a recent study from the Journal of Food Science published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), researchers from Ningbo Institute of Agricultural Sciences in China found that seed germination could reduce the allergen level in peanuts.