Washington, Feb 11 : Scientists have shed light on what happens in cells when DNA is damaged.

The research group in the Faculty of Medicine `n' Dentistry at the University of Alberta hopes that their latest discovery could one day be used to develop new therapies that target certain types of cancers.

Mark Glover, his graduate student Zahra Havali-Shahriari and post-doctoral fellow Nicolas Coquelle solved the structure of a DNA repair enzyme called polynucleotide kinase/phosphatase, or PNKP.

This allows them to see what is happening when this enzyme is repairing DNA.

Washington, Feb 11 : Excessive consumption of phosphate is damaging to health due to which food products containing its additives should be labelled, researchers have recommended.

Eberhard Ritz and his co-authors selectively reviewed the literature on the subject, which documents the fact that ex-cessive phosphate consumption elevates mortality in patients with renal disease.

Recent studies have also shown that phosphate apparently damages blood vessels and induces aging pro-cesses. Free phosphate, the type found in food additives, is entirely resorbed in the gastroin-testinal tract.

Washington, Feb 11 : 16-18 year olds perform better academically when they shave about two hours off from 9 hours of sleep recommended for them by federal guidelines, a new study has claimed.

The new study by Eric Eide and Mark Showalter from Brigham Young University is the first in a series of studies where they examine sleep and its impact on our health and education.

"We're not talking about sleep deprivation," Eide, the study author said.

"The data simply says that seven hours is optimal at that age," he said.

Washington, Feb 11 : Kineret (anakinra), a medication approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, effectively blocks progression of organ damage in people with neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease (NOMID), a new study has revealed.

This rare and debilitating genetic disorder causes persistent inflammation and ongoing tissue damage.

Washington, Feb 11 : Older maternal and paternal ages are together associated with having a child with autism, a new study has revealed.

Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) compared 68 age- and sex-matched, case-control pairs from their research in Jamaica, where UTHealth has been studying autism in collaboration with The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica.

Washington, Feb 11 : Besides stress and anxiety, victims of natural disasters also become prone to making more serious errors than usual in their daily lives, a new study has revealed.

In their upcoming article, researchers William S. Helton and James Head from the University of Canterbury explore how cognitive performance can decline after earthquakes and other natural disasters.

Washington, Feb 11 : Curcumin, an active component of the Indian curry spice turmeric, may help slow down the growth of tumour in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients on androgen deprivation therapy
(ADT), a new study has found.

Karen Knudsen and colleagues from Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Cente, of Cancer Research observed in a pre-clinical study that curcumin suppresses two known nuclear receptor activators, p300 and CPB, or CREB1-binding protein, which have been shown to work against ADT.

Washington, Feb 10 : A study conducted by an Indian origin researcher and his colleagues, has revealed a lot about how the brain sorts out confusing perceptions, like distinguishing between right and left hand.

The study challenges the long-held consensus about how we solve this problem.

"For decades, the theory was that you use your motor imagination," Shivakumar Viswanathan, who conducted the study with University of California Santa Barbara colleagues Courtney Fritz and Scott T Grafton said.

Washington, Feb 10 : A sexy, youthful smell may make up for advancing age, at least for fruit flies, according to a new study.

The University of Michigan's research says male fruit flies find romance with female flies coated with pheromone - chemicals produced by an organism to communicate or attract another.

It demonstrates how age-related changes in pheromone production can reduce sexual attractiveness.

Washington, Feb 10 : Researchers have for the first time found that offspring can overcome the adverse metabolic effects passed on to them by their overweight mothers with the help of physical activity.

Being an obese mother can have a powerful impact on the next generation, altering central appetite circuits and contributing to increased fat deposits, glucose intolerance and metabolic disease in offspring.

Washington, Feb 10 : In a mice study, a cancer drug was found to quickly reverse the pathological, cognitive and memory deficits caused by the onset of Alzheimer's - a breakthrough in finding cure for the progressive brain disease.

Neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine discovered that bexarotene, which has been approved for the treatment of cancer by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration for more than a decade, rapidly clears amyloid from the brain and reverses cognitive defects.

Washington, Feb 10 : There are some foods, which when combined can make a romantic yet cardiac-friendly dinner that is perfect for you and your partner on Valentine's Day.

According to researchers, eating a variety of healthy foods in moderation is vital for a heart-healthy diet

"Years of research has shown that a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fat and lean protein will not only help with weight maintenance, but with overall heart health," said Katie Boles, RD, LDN, clinical dietician with the Brenner FIT Program, at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Washington, Feb 10 : Scientists have discovered the mechanisms behind some of the bacteria that kill hundreds of thousands every year, possibly paving the way for more effective antibiotics against infections.

With antibiotic resistance on the rise in strains of pathogenic bacteria, innovative strategies are needed to discover ways of treating bacterial infections in both humans and in agriculture.

Washington, Feb 10 : A new research has challenged the widely held belief that a caesarean delivery has no health risks for the baby.

The study found that the procedure did not help some preterm babies who were small for gestational age, and may even have contributed to their breathing problems.

The research showed that small for gestational age babies delivered early by C-section had higher rates of respiratory distress syndrome than similar preterm babies who were born vaginally.

Washington, Feb 9 : There are two vital cell types in the brain that are essential for the regulation of feeding behaviours - agouti-related peptide (AgRP)-expressing neurons and proopiomelancortin
(POMC)-expressing neurons.

Previous work has shown that the AgRP neurons promote feeding and weight gain, while the POMC cells have been linked with appetite suppression and weight loss.

Now a new study uncovers a neural pathway that links fasting with activation of AgRP neurons. The research provides valuable insight into the complex mechanisms that control food-seeking behaviour.