Washington, Feb 10: Ultrasound scans have provided the first direct evidence that malaria infection reduces early foetal growth, a study claims.

The researchers studied almost 3,800 pregnancies for their study.

Washington, Feb 10 : Researchers have discovered that the immune response regulator IKBKE (serine/threonine kinase) plays two roles in tobacco-related non-small cell lung cancers.

Tobacco carcinogens induce IKBKE and, in turn, IKBKE induces chemotherapy resistance.

Washington, Feb 10 : Testing a developing foetus’ DNA through chromosomal microarray (CMA) provides more information about potential disorders than the standard method of prenatal testing, which is to visually examine the chromosomes (karyotyping), according to a new study.

Washington, Feb 10 : Children who show multiple psychosomatic symptoms, like regular aches, pains, sleep and appetite problems, are more than twice as likely to be suffering from physical abuse at home than kids who do not display such signs, a new study has revealed.

Washington, Feb 10 : Researchers have found new evidence for the role of the brain in obesity and weight gain.

Although obesity typically results simply from excessive energy intake, it is currently unclear why some people are prone to overeating and gaining weight.

Washington, Feb 10 : Previous scientific research on resveratrol, a constituent of red wine and other vegetable products, has revealed that in high doses, it may increase longevity of life and reduce metabolic diseases of aging.

But, a new study in mice has argued that crediting only resveratrol for a specific effect on health could be misleading.

Washington, Feb 10 : Practice makes perfect is an old truism. And now science is proving that those who practise tasks repeatedly, especially after mastering them, exert less energy, performing with greater ease and efficiency.

Whether you are an athlete, a musician or a stroke patient learning to walk again, practice may not only make you perfect, but also more efficient, says a new study from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Washington, Feb 10 : Use of a drug in mice appears to quickly reverse the pathological, cognitive and memory deficits caused by the onset of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study.

The results point to the significant potential that the medication, bexarotene, has to help the roughly 5.4 million Americans suffering from the progressive brain disease, US researchers said.

Washington, Feb 9 : Growing up on a farm directly affects the regulation of the immune system and causes a reduction in the immunological responses to food proteins, a new study has found.

Washington, Feb 9 : A specific goal to eat a set number of daily servings of low-glycemic-index foods can improve dietary habits of people with Type 2 diabetes, researchers say.

Washington, Feb 9 : Researchers have found new evidence of why mice, people and other vertebrate animals carry thousands of varieties of genes to make immune-system proteins named MHCs - even if some of those genes make vertebrate animals vulnerable to infections and to autoimmune diseases.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins are found on the surfaces of most cells in vertebrate animals.

Washington, Feb 9 : Gene therapy for congenital blindness has taken another step forward, as researchers further improved vision in three adult patients earlier treated in one eye.

After receiving the same treatment in their other eye, the patients became better able to see in dim light, and two were able to navigate obstacles in low-light situations. No adverse effects occurred.

Washington, Feb 9 : Scientists have designed tiny "micromotors" that propel themselves through acidic environments using hydrogen bubbles.

These micromotors are expected to work in stomach acid.

Researchers, led by University of California San Diego nanoengineering professor Joseph Wang, constructed each micromotor from extremely tiny plastic tubes containing a thin layer of zinc, Discovery News reported.

Washington, Feb 8 : A botanical formula considerably suppresses tumour growth in aggressive, hormone refractory (androgen independent) human-prostate cancer cells, according to researchers.

Scientists at Indiana University, Methodist Research Institute study a botanical formula that kills aggressive prostate cancer tumours. Their findings are based on experiments in mice using a human prostate cancer tumour model.

Washington, Feb 9 : Researchers have found that people who are more physically active have greater levels of excitement and enthusiasm than people who are less physically active.

Also people are more likely to be excited and enthusiastic on days when they are more physically active than usual, say Penn State researchers.

Washington, Feb 9 : A new study has suggested that low dopamine levels that occur as a result of withdrawal from smoking actually promote the relapse to smoking.

Dopamine is a brain chemical messenger that is critically important in reward and motivation. Some research suggests that one of its central roles is to send a signal to the brain to `seek something enjoyable'.

Washington, Feb 9 - Coronary artery disease (CAD) and prostate cancer, two seemingly unrelated conditions, may actually share similar causes, according to the findings of a drug trial.

CAD kills more adults in the US than any other cause, accounting for one in four deaths. Risk factors include inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol, cigarette smoking, and diabetes.

Washington, Feb 9 - Coronary artery disease or CAD, which kills tens of thousands worldwide every year, is likely to pass from father to son, reveals a study.

A new study by the University of Leicester's cardiovascular sciences and genetics departments, which took four years to complete, suggests that the Y-chromosome, a part of DNA present only in men, plays a role in the inheritance of CAD.

Washington, Feb 8 : In a new study, scientists have revived a theory first proposed in the late 1800s and studied organ development in mice to reveal how breast cancers, and possibly other cancers, develop in people.

According to the theory, the development of organs in the normal embryo and the development of cancers are related.

Washington, Feb 8 : Following a total joint replacement, anticoagulation drugs can prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE), a new study has revealed.

DVT is a blood clot deep within the extremities, while PE is a condition that triggers a blood clot to move to the lungs.

However, prolonged use of these therapies may increase the risk of hemorrhage and infection.

Washington, Feb 8 : Adolescents who suffer from depression are more at risk of developing difficulty in peer relationships including being bullied at school, a new study has revealed.

It is often assumed that being bullied leads to psychological problems, such as depression, but the study does not support this line of thought.

Washington, Feb 8 : Introduction of non-invasive fat removal technologies is opening the door for more people to remove stubborn fat, safely and effectively without undergoing liposuction, researchers say.

Washington, Feb 8 : High level of soft drink consumption may make a person more vulnerable to asthma and, or, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study has revealed.

Led by Zumin Shi, MD, PhD, of the University of Adelaide, researchers conducted computer assisted telephone interviewing among 16,907 participants aged 16 years and older in South Australia between March 2008 and June

Washington, Feb 8 : The middle finger has a slower reaction time than our thumb or finger, and scientists have found that it is because it is inhibited by its central position.

Washington, Feb 8 An important step forward has been taken in understanding how insulin secretion is regulated in the body.

This discovery has important implications for drugs currently in development to treat Type 2 diabetes, a disease which is diagnosed every 10 seconds somewhere throughout the world.