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Evidence from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) suggests that changes in childhood cancer treatment and follow-up care have reduced deaths from the late effects of cancer treatment and extended the lives of childhood cancer survivors. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators led the research, which appears today online ahead of print in the New England Journal of Medicine.

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Liver damage caused by the typical "Western diet" - one high in fat, sugar and cholesterol that's common in developed countries such as the United States - may be difficult to reverse even if diet is generally improved, a new study shows.

The research, published today in PLOS ONE by scientists from Oregon State University, found that a diet with reduced fat and cholesterol helped, but did not fully resolve liver damage that had already been done - damage that in turn can lead to more serious health problems, such as cirrhosis or even cancer.

The U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station today released a new report that outlines a climate adaptation strategy for yellow-cedar in Alaska.

While epilepsy and migraines in children and adolescents are closely related neurologic disorders, youth with epilepsy face a significantly higher risk of dying prematurely.

In a study of children in South Carolina with epilepsy, migraines, or lower extremity fractures, children with epilepsy had almost a 4-fold increased risk of dying compared with children who had broken a bone or who experienced migraines.

A new study shows that a surgical treatment can be effective for treating Peyronie's disease, a disorder that leads to scarring and shortening of the penis.

After undergoing surgery involving a "sliding technique" and penile prosthesis implantation, 28 patients experienced an average penile lengthening of 3.2 cm. In questionnaires relating to erectile dysfunction, scores improved significantly at various times points after surgery, indicating improvements in function. The study is the first multi-center prospective study on the surgical technique.

Similar to human pheromones, all plants emit signaling chemicals. The chemicals, called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are ubiquitous. The smell of freshly cut grass is caused by a VOC. Ever wonder why Christmas trees easily catch fire? Conifer trees emit a flammable group of VOCs called terpenes.

VOCs protect plants from stress, attract insects for pollination and seed dispersal, and even send warning signs to neighbor plants and animals that predators are attacking. VOCs essentially mediate relationships between plants and the organisms with which they interact.

Montréal, January 13, 2016 - A study conducted by a research team led by Michel Cayouette, Full IRCM Research Professor and Director of the Cellular Neurobiology research unit, in collaboration with a team led by Stéphane Angers, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, makes the cover of the latest edition of Developmental Cell following the discovery of a mechanism enabling the production of cellular diversity in the developing nervous system.

Insects exhibit breathing patterns called discontinuous gas-exchange cycles that include periods of little to no release of carbon dioxide to the environment. Researchers who studied the respiratory patterns of 15 species of ground beetles found that these cycles may minimize the risk of infestation of an insect's tracheal system by mites and other pathogens.

The findings may help provide a more comprehensive understanding of why insects have an evolutionary advantage over other animals.

New research suggests that wild populations of Grey Parrots--one of the world's most popular cage birds--have been virtually wiped out by poaching and habitat loss.

Working in Ghana, scientists estimate that 90% to 99% of the species' population has been lost since 1992, and the same pattern is likely to hold true across the rest of the species' range.

TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Driven by consumer demand for local leafy green vegetables, growers in Taiwan are increasingly interested in producing organic and conventional lettuce in high tunnels. In subtropical regions, growing this cool-season leafy vegetable can be a challenge; higher temperatures common in the tunnels during warm seasons can increase the possibility of lettuce bolting (premature growth of a flower stalk).

Brazilian torrent frogs may use sophisticated audio and visual signals to communicate, including inflating vocal sacs, squealing, and arm waving, according to a study published January 13, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Fábio P. de Sá, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Brazil, and colleagues.

An international team of scientists including researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have identified a crucial signaling enzyme as a possible therapeutic target for the treatment of a heritable immune disease. X-linked lymphoproliferative disease is a life-threatening condition that has few treatment options. Affected individuals are vulnerable to massive accumulation and activation of white blood cells known as T cells should they become infected with Epstein-Barr virus, the virus that causes infectious mononucleosis.

The Australian research team discovered a new pattern of immune activation at birth that was associated with an increased risk of babies developing food allergies in early life. The finding could lead to future treatments for babies and infants to prevent childhood food allergies.

BINGHAMTON, NY - Researchers who developed an app that blocks third parties from identifying an individual's location based on what they search for online received a "best paper" award at a recent conference.

A study by Stanford University School of Medicine investigators raises concerns that the lower-fiber diets typical in industrialized societies may produce internal deficiencies that get passed along to future generations.

The study, conducted in mice, indicates that low-fiber diets not only deplete the complex microbial ecosystems residing in every mammalian gut, but can cause an irreversible loss of diversity within those ecosystems in as few as three or four generations.