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Health & Mind

Old Age

Life-shortening telomere gene discovered

Tuesday, 9 February 2010

Some people carry a genetic variant responsible for short telomeres - caps at the end of DNA that control ageing - and it could shave three or four years off their life, according to a new study.


Smoking

Public awareness of quitting is distorted

Tuesday, 9 February 2010

"Up to 75% of successful ex-smokers quit unaided," said a public health expert, who reviewed hundreds of studies into quitting smoking and is now calling for more effective campaigns and policies worldwide.


Beer

Drink beer for your bones

Monday, 8 February 2010

Could a beer a day keep the osteopath away? American nutritionists found that beer could be a good source of silicon, thought to play an important role in bone health.


Reacting faster than acting

Thursday, 4 February 2010

Just like in the old Western gunfights, people move faster when reacting to a trigger than if they initiate movement, which shows movement has different brain pathways, scientists said.


Vaccination

Paper linking vaccine to autism retracted

Wednesday, 3 February 2010

Medical journal The Lancet has withdrawn a 1998 study linking autism with inoculation against three childhood illnesses, a paper that caused an uproar and an enduring backlash against vaccination.


Baby sleeping

Serotonin deficiency may cause cot death

Wednesday, 3 February 2010

Low levels of the mood-regulating brain chemical serotonin in the brainstem may be a cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or cot death, scientists said.


Sleeping

Need for sleep diminishes with age

Monday, 1 February 2010

Healthy older adults need less sleep than their younger counterparts and, even with less sleep under their nightcaps, are less likely to feel tired during the day, scientists said.


Nerve Cells

Brain cells created directly from skin cells

Thursday, 28 January 2010

Researchers transformed mouse skin cells directly into functional nerve cells, skipping the stem cell stage, in a huge step towards treating diseases such as Alzheimer’s or spinal cord injuries.


Space Fortress

Brain size predicts success at video games

Thursday, 21 January 2010

The size of three specific regions of the brain can predict performance in video games, and may show the way forward for education, said American psychologists.


Queen Nefertiti

Ancient Egyptian make-up was antimicrobial

Thursday, 14 January 2010

Elaborate eye make-up worn by Ancient Egyptians not only made for a dramatic look, but also protected against disease, says a new study.


Mice exposed to EMFs

Could mobile phone radiation protect against Alzheimer's disease?

Friday, 8 January 2010

Long-term exposure to electromagnetic fields from mobile phones may prevent and reverse the damage of Alzheimer's disease, says a controversial new study.


Transparent goldfish

Researchers develop transparent goldfish

Monday, 4 January 2010

First came transparent frogs. Now Japanese researchers have produced goldfish whose beating hearts can be seen through translucent scales and skin.


Tasmanian devil

Origin of Tassie devil facial cancer found

Monday, 4 January 2010

Australian researchers have cracked the origin of the deadly cancer that is threatening to wipe out the Tasmanian devil, raising hopes of saving it.


Fake platelets to stem blood flow

Friday, 18 December 2009

Scientists have developed artificial platelets to enhance the natural process of blood clotting, reducing the risk of fatal blood loss on the battlefield and in the emergency room.


Blood tests detect cancer

Monday, 14 December 2009

Nanosensors that detect traces of cancer in simple blood tests have been successfully developed, U.S. researchers have announced.