Health & Medicine
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Health & MedicineBody & Brain
A genetic cause for small brains, heart links to HIV and calcium, and more in this week’s news.
By Science News -
Health & MedicineArmadillos may spread leprosy
A new strain of the disease has shown up in patients and in the animals in parts of the Deep South, suggesting a cause of rare U.S. cases.
By Nathan Seppa -
LifeHalf-asleep rats look wide awake
In a discovery with ominous implications for sleep deprivation, researchers find that some brain regions can doze off while an animal remains active.
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HumansBecause some foods carry organophosphate residues
Three new papers link prenatal exposures to organophosphate (OP) pesticides with diminished IQs in children. Fruits and veggies are one continuing source of exposure to these bug killers. As to what we’re supposed to do with that knowledge — well, the Environmental Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization, offers some guidance.
By Janet Raloff -
ChemistryPesticides tied to lower IQ in children
Chemicals once sprayed in homes — and still used on farms — were found to have significant effects in three studies.
By Janet Raloff -
Health & MedicineFlies on meth burn through sugar
Cellular effects may explain why addicts often have a sweet tooth.
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Health & MedicineMucus-related gene tied to lung disease
People with pulmonary fibrosis are much more likely to make excess amounts of a normally beneficial protein, a study finds.
By Nathan Seppa -
Health & MedicineExperimental Biology 2011 conference
Even larvae can love the blues, plus distemper’s roots, fat-busting blueberries and more meeting news.
By Science News -
LifeGut bacteria come in three flavors
Everybody has one of a trio of types — and which one seems to be less important than how the bugs behave.
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Health & MedicineBody & Brain
A hidden herpes risk, the rapid effects of a high-fat diet, explaining seniors' early rising and more in this week's news.
By Science News -
Health & MedicineBody’s immune protein fights breast cancer
A new study clarifies the role of interleukin-25 in stalling malignancy, possibly clearing the way for new drug development.
By Nathan Seppa -
Health & MedicineSimple-sugar effects aren’t necessarily simple, animal study suggests
New mouse data suggest that even among seemingly identical sugars, how they are delivered can exert subtle metabolic differences with long-term impacts on vitality -- and lifespan.
By Janet Raloff