Press monitoring
My dishwasher is trying to kill me: New research finds harmful fungal pathogens living in dishwasher seals
21.6.2011 | Press monitoring
A potentially pathogenic fungus has found a home living in extreme conditions in some of the most common household appliances, researchers have found. A new paper published in the British Mycological Society journal, Fungal Biology, published by Elsevier, shows that these sites make perfect habitats for extremotolerant fungi (which includes black...
E. Coli Bacteria More Likely to Develop Resistance After Exposure to Low Levels of Antibiotics
20.6.2011 | Press monitoring
E. coli bacteria exposed to three common antibiotics were more likely to develop antibiotic resistance following low-level antibiotic exposure than after exposure to high concentrations that would kill the bacteria or inhibit their growth, according to a timely article in Microbial Drug Resistance, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann...
Probiotic drinks help against allergies
17.6.2011 | Press monitoring
Probiotic drinks such as Yakult and Vivit can alleviate the symptoms of pollen allergies, says Wageningen UR PhD scholar Yvonne Vissers. They do this by diminishing the amounts of certain proteins that cause hay fever. The probiotic drinks also stimulate the manufacture of allergy-inhibiting substances. Particularly good results were obtained with...
Cooling the Brain During Sleep May Be a Natural and Effective Treatment for Insomnia
15.6.2011 | Press monitoring
People with primary insomnia may be able to find relief by wearing a cap that cools the brain during sleep.According to the authors, a reduction in metabolism in the brain's frontal cortex occurs while falling asleep and is associated with restorative sleep., insomnia is associated with increased metabolism in this same brain region. One way to...
First Wood-Digesting Enzyme Found in Bacteria Could Boost Biofuel Production
14.6.2011 | Press monitoring
The researchers have discovered an enzyme which is important in breaking down lignin, one of the components of the woody parts of plants. Lignin is important in making plants sturdy and rigid but, because it is difficult to break down, it makes extracting the energy-rich sugars used to produce bioethanol more difficult. Fast-growing woody plants...
Study Confirms Safety, Cancer-Targeting Ability of Nutrient in Broccoli, Other Vegetables, Researchers Say
13.6.2011 | Press monitoring
Sulforaphane, one of the primary phytochemicals in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables that helps them prevent cancer, has been shown for the first time to selectively target and kill cancer cells while leaving normal prostate cells healthy and unaffected.
Apple Ingredient Keeps Muscles Strong: Component of Apple Peels Found to Help Prevent Muscle Weakening in Mice
9.6.2011 | Press monitoring
In search of a way to prevent the muscle wasting that comes with illness and aging, researchers have landed a natural compound that might just do the trick. The findings reported in the June issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, identify a component of apple peels as a promising new drug candidate for the widespread and debilitating...
Anti-Obesity Vaccine Reduces Food Consumption in Animals
8.6.2011 | Press monitoring
A new therapeutic vaccine to treat obesity by suppressing the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin decreases food intake and increases calorie burning in mice, a new study finds. "An anti-ghrelin vaccine may become an alternate treatment for obesity, to be used in combination with diet and exercise," said Mariana Monteiro, MD, PhD, an associate...
Could a Birth Control Pill for Men Be on the Horizon? Retinoic Acid Receptor Antagonist Interferes With Sperm Production
7.6.2011 | Press monitoring
Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center are honing in on the development of what may be the first non-steroidal, oral contraceptive for men. Tests of low doses of a compound that interferes with retinoic acid receptors (RARs), whose ligands are metabolites of dietary vitamin A, showed that it caused sterility in male mi...
Deadly Bacteria May Mimic Human Proteins to Evolve Antibiotic Resistance
6.6.2011 | Press monitoring
Deadly bacteria may be evolving antibiotic resistance by mimicking human proteins, according to a new study by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).
