Washington, Apr 20 : Michigan scientists have unravelled the mystery behind the much hyped healing power of the main ingredient in turmeric, a spice revered in India as `holy powder.'

Turmeric has been used for centuries in folk medicine to treat wounds, infections, and other health problems.

While many scientists have conducted research on its main ingredient-curcumin-no details had been revealed as to how it functions in the body, until now.

Washington, April 20 : In a new research, scientists have suggested that lead generated by human activities causes clouds to form at warmer temperatures and with less water, which could alter the pattern of both rain and snow in a warmer world.

The research has been done by an international team of scientists, which included researchers from institutions in the United States, Switzerland and Germany.

Washington, Apr 20 : Scientists from University of California, San Diego and the Moores UCSD Cancer Centre have identified a biomaker that may help predict aggressiveness of difficult-to-treat form of leukaemia.

The research team, led by Dr Paul A. Insel, professor of pharmacology and medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, has found that high levels of a enzyme, called PDE7B, in the blood are an indicator that chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) - the most common form of adult leukaemia.

Kabul, Apr. 20 : The United States has once again urged Pakistan to do more to dismantle the terror safe havens operating on its soil.

Addressing a joint press conference with Afghan Defense Minister General Abdul Rahim Wardak, top commander of U. S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General David McKiernan, said that the terror breeding grounds in Pakistan were destabilizing the whole region.

Washington, April 20 : A study conducted at the Baylor College of Medicine has revealed that drinking at least one glass of low sodium vegetable juice daily may help overweight people with metabolic syndrome lose weight.

Researchers found that participants who drank at least 8-ounces of low sodium vegetable juice as part of a calorie-controlled DASH diet lost four pounds over 12 weeks, while those who followed the same diet but drank no juice lost one pound.

Washington, April 20 : Eating tart cherries could significantly boost antioxidant activity in the body, according to a new study.

Researchers at University of Michigan found that healthy adults who ate a cup and a half of frozen cherries had increased levels of antioxidants, specifically five different anthocyanins - the natural antioxidants that give cherries their red colour.

They randomly assigned 12 healthy adults, aged 18 to 25 years, to eat either one and a half cups or three cups of frozen tart cherries.