Omega 3 fatty acids in dietary fish oil are reported to have anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombogenic and anti-arrhythmic effects in humans, but the biochemical basis for these beneficial health effects is not well understood. Now a University of Michigan biochemist reports that fish oil significantly diminishes the production and effectiveness of various prostaglandins, naturally occurring hormone-like substances that can accentuate inflammation and thrombosis.

Dr. William L. Smith desc

Scientists at UCL (University College London) have measured responses to pain in the brains of premature babies and have shown that they are likely to experience ‘true’ pain rather than simply displaying reflex reactions.

The paper, published today in The Journal of Neuroscience, illustrates that routine care procedures for premature babies, such as heel-lancing for blood tests, can cause pain in premature infants. This study, undertaken on infants in the neonatal unit at the Elizabeth G

Cancer treatment needs refinement. Any method aimed at treating a tumor, from extirpation to radiotherapy, requires a precise knowledge of the cancerous tumor margins so that the intervention on it may be performed in such a way that the possibilities of healing are maximised and the effects on surrounding healthy tissues are minimised. A group of researchers from the Department of Mathematics at the Universitat Jaume I in Castelló have implemented a mathematical method that is applied to medica

WOMEN eat more unhealthy foods and tend to put on weight when they move in with a male partner, according to a new report by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

On the other hand, a man’s diet tends to become healthier when he starts cohabiting with a female partner – and her influence has a long-term positive impact.

The reason for the change in dietary habits, say experts, is that both partners try to please each other during the ’honeymoon period’ a

In the face of the growing obesity health challenge, “appetite suppressants are increasingly interesting because they work on the very simple premise of ’What you don’t eat now, you won’t need to lose later,’” Alexandra Einerhand, director, nutrition and toxicology-Europe at Lipid Nutrition notes.

Einerhand says that in a study, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) derived from “Korean pine nuts, which have been part of our diet since before ancient Greek and

Researchers identify genetic variants that lend clues to living longer

Many studies show that tweaking a single gene can extend life span in animal models. In a new study published in the open access journal PLoS Biology, Drs. Gil Atzmon and Nir Barzilai at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have found that people harbor alleles—alternative forms of a gene—that confer the same sort of longevity advantage.

The researchers looked for genetic clue

A horse’s saddle and the weight of its rider can directly affect equine performance, causing spinal abnormalities in racehorses and showjumpers. On Tuesday 4th April, at the Society for Experimental Biology’s Main Annual Meeting in Canterbury [session A7], Patricia de Cocq will present novel data showing that when a horse bears the weight of a rider it adjusts the position of its back and alters its limb movements, which makes it prone to back-pain. “The goal of this study is to advise horse tr

Unlike airplanes, leaving their landing gear down makes bees fly faster. When orchid bees extend their hind-legs they pitch forward to achieve maximal speed, and the legs produce lift forces to either side that help prevent the bee from rolling. “The hind-legs resemble airplane wings, which probably explains why they also generate lift”, says Dr Stacey Combes from the University of California, Berkeley who will present her research on Tuesday 4th April at the Society for Experimental Biology’s A

Now is the time to look for the sight of hares boxing – when a Jack hare starts chasing a Jill hare it is a sure sign of spring. The hares may seem brazen in their conspicuousness, but if a stray greyhound were to take advantage of their amorous distractions the hares would stand a very good chance of getting away. This security comes from the fact that hares have better muscles for jumping and turning than greyhounds. Sarah Williams, a research student in the Structure and Motion laboratory at

For scientists a good publication record is a recipe for success, and it’s never too early to start. Dr Celia Knight (University of Leeds) has established ‘Biolog-e’ – a web-based journal which publishes first class biology research projects. And the students love it! “They can show their friends, families and future-employers evidence of skills in science research and communication”, says Dr Knight who will be presenting the project at the Society for Experimental Biology Main Meeting in Canter

Findings May Offer Therapeutic Potential for Sepsis Treatment

Disruption of a single gene, Nrf2, plays a critical role in regulating the body’s innate immune response to sepsis and septic shock, according to a study by a research team led by Shyam Biswal, PhD, at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The researchers found that the absence of Nrf2 caused a dramatic increase in mortality due to septic shock in mice. The study’s findings, which will be published in the A

Scientists discover structure of defense process, how to inhibit it

Scientists from two universities in Italy and Virginia Tech in the United States have determined the structure of a protein that is responsible for the production xanthurenic acid (XA) in Anopheles gambiae, the malaria carrying mosquitoes. XA plays a key role in the sexual reproduction of the malaria parasite (Plasmodium falciparum) in A. gambiae mosquitoes. Interfering with the formation of XA could be an avenue for

The purity of birdsong is owed in large part to rapid, controlled changes in the shape of the birds’ upper vocal tracts, according to a new study of Northern Cardinals by scientists at Indiana University Bloomington, Purdue University and Australian National University. Their report will appear in next week’s (April 4) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“We show that songbirds adjust the size and shape of their vocal tract to ’fit’ the changing frequency of their song,

An Australian research team has solved one of biology’s most fundamental questions – why males produce sperm and females produce eggs. The finding is a breakthrough that could lead to improved infertility treatment, cancer therapy and pest management.

The team, led by Dr Josephine Bowles and Professor Peter Koopman from the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at The University of Queensland, has discovered that derivatives of Vitamin A trigger the beginning of egg and sperm production,

In a paper being presented in two American Physiological Society sessions at Experimental Biology 2006, a joint Estonian-French team demonstrated “for the first time that mitochondria are able to induce nuclear deformation, suggesting that mitochondria may mechanically regulate nuclear function.”

The team, which has been collaborating for over 10 years, reported that it recently “found a very interesting and unexpected phenomenon: various substances which increase mitochondrial s

American Heart Association rapid access journal report

If you’re middle age and sleep five hours or less a night, you may be increasing your risk of developing high blood pressure, according to research reported in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

“Sleep allows the heart to slow down and blood pressure to drop for a significant part of the day,” said James E. Gangwisch, Ph.D., lead author of the study and post-doctoral fellow at Columbia